Dearica Hamby Named Western Conference Player of the Week

Sparks forward Dearica Hamby is the WNBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week for June 3 through June 9, the league announced Tuesday. Hamby is the fourth player to win the award this season, joining Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper and A’ja Wilson. 

Hamby led the Sparks to a 2-1 record the past week, including a defeat of the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces, averaging 19.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals per contest. Among WNBA players scoring 19 points-or-more per contest during the week, Hamby shot the highest field-goal percentage at 56.4 (22-for-39). The Wake Forest alumna also recorded a double-double in two of her three games and led the league in defensive rebounds per contest during this period.

 Hamby is the first Spark to win WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week honors since Nneka Ogwumike did so on June 6, 2023, and the ninth player in franchise history to earn the distinction. Sparks players collectively have won the award 63 times, which tops in the league.

The veteran, in her 10^th WNBA season and second with Los Angeles, has won the award for the first time in her career. She joins Tamecka Dixon, Chelsea Gray, Lisa Leslie, DeLisha Milton-Jones, Nneka Ogwumike, Candace Parker, Tina Thompson and Kristi Toliver among Sparks honorees. Since the Sparks acquired Hamby via trade with the Aces in January 2023, the 6-foot-3 forward has started 30 games and is averaging 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds, while shooting 47.2%. In her WNBA career, she has one WNBA championship, two All-Star appearances and two Sixth Woman of the Year trophies.

 Through Sunday (June 9), Hamby led the WNBA in double-doubles (nine) and defensive rebounds per game (9.6), while ranking second in rebounds per game (11.5) and three-point percentage (47.6). The Sparks forward also stood fourth in field-goal percentage (55.2), fifth in points per game (20.4), 11^th in steals per game (1.7) and 16^th in assists per contest (3.6).