Sparks set to bring back Dearica Hamby amid WNBA free agency

With little time between the WNBA free agency period and the start of the season, the Los Angeles Sparks jumped right into the offseason making a huge splash in agreeing to terms with former franchise star Nneka Ogwumike. The Sparks offseason didn’t end there as they are reportedly still in talks to acquire Ariel Atkins from the Chicago Sky. And the Sparks’ latest move was to bring back veteran forward Dearica Hamby, she announced via social media, with the free agency negotiation period lifted.

Saturday marked the first day that WNBA teams could make free agency signings official, and amid rumors that Dearica Hamby could jump ship, she affirmed with a video that she was in fact, not leaving the Sparks. Hamby was initially acquired by the team via trade with the Las Vegas Aces in 2023.

The past two seasons, she’s put up the best numbers of her career. She was an All-Star in 2024, her third career selection, and this past year she was able to showcase her game a little more in new head coach Lynne Roberts’ system.

Hamby appeared in all 44 games last year, all starts, at a little over 31 minutes per game. She averaged a career-high 18.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals with splits of 57.2 percent shooting from the field, 27.8 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 62.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Her return to the Sparks does bring up a minor dilemma as far as what the frontcourt rotation is going to be. Ogwumike is for sure a starter, leaving either Hamby or Cameron Brink as the other big in the lineup. Brink is more of a natural center and fit alongside Ogwumike, but Hamby has played the best basketball of her career as a starter. Back when she was with the Aces, she was primarily a reserve.

Hamby does have experience playing alongside Ogwumike during the 2023 season. The Sparks were in playoff contention that season but ended up just missing out.

As it stands, the Sparks have five players accounted for on the roster in Ogwumike, Hamby, Brink, second-year center Sania Feagin and the expected re-signing of Kelsey Plum. Plum was tendered a core qualifying offer giving the team exclusive negotiation rights.

The Sparks also tendered qualifying offers to Rae Burrell, Julie Vanloo and Alissa Pili, but there has been no movement on that front yet. There is also the reported Jackson-Atkins discussions with the Sky that need to be resolved. The team is required to carry a full roster of 12 players as per the new CBA with the season officially beginning on May 8.

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