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The Los Angeles Sparks went a miserable 8-32 last season, which gave them the worst record in the WNBA. To add salt to the injury, they missed out on the No. 1 pick in the draft and the opportunity to land UConn star Paige Bueckers, who ended up going to the Dallas Wings.
But they improved to 2-3 on the new season with a 91-78 win over the Chicago Sky on Sunday. Veteran forward Dearica Hamby shot just 3-of-11 from the field, but she did have eight assists, six rebounds, six steals and one block.
She was asked if she would rather have Caitlin Clark’s passing ability or the rebounding skills of Chicago’s Angel Reese, and she chose Clark’s passing skills.
“Caitlin Clark’s passing ability,” Hamby replied. “I can already rebound enough. I can be a better passer.”
Ever since Hamby became a full-time starter in 2022, she has indeed been a good rebounder. That year, she averaged 7.1 rebounds in 26.5 minutes a game and helped the Las Vegas Aces win the WNBA championship.
She was traded to the Sparks before the 2023 campaign, and last year, she grabbed a career-high 9.2 rebounds while also scoring 17.3 points a game and shooting 51.2% from the field. She was also named to the WNBA All-Star Game for the third time in four seasons. But Hamby only has 1.7 assists per game through her career.
Meanwhile, Clark, in her rookie season last year, had averaged 8.4 assists per game. This year she has 9.3 at the moment. So Hamby’s comments look quite justified.
But Hamby’s rebounding prowess and ability to score are two reasons the Sparks have some hope of competing for a playoff spot this year. The proud franchise, which has won it all three times, hasn’t reached the postseason since 2020.
About the author
Robert is a sports journalist who has been covering pro basketball and football since 2018. He focuses on giving passionate but level-headed coverage of both sports and cutting through the hype and cynicism to let readers know what is happening and what could take place moving forward.
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