Alexa PhilippouApr 11, 2026, 01:10 PM ET
- Covers women's college basketball and the WNBA
- Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant
- Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati Enquirer
Three-time WNBA All-Star forward Dearica Hamby is finalizing a three-year, fully guaranteed deal to remain with the Los Angeles Sparks, an agreement that will total close to $3.5 million over the course of the contract, sources told ESPN on Saturday.
Hamby indicated she would be returning to the Sparks in a social media post earlier in the day.
The 6-foot-3 Hamby has spent the past three seasons in Los Angeles, last year recording career highs in points per game (18.4) and field goal percentage (57.2%) while also averaging 7.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals.
The Sparks last made the playoffs in 2020 and are looking to reestablish their status as a contender. In addition to bringing back Hamby, they acquired Nneka Ogwumike in free agency and have cored Kelsey Plum.
Veteran guard Erica Wheeler, who spent last season with the Seattle Storm, announced she is returning to the Sparks, where she played in 2021. She averaged just over 10 points per game last season in Seattle. She's also played for the New York Liberty, Atlanta Dream and Indiana Fever over the course of her career.
Hamby was named Sixth Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020 while playing for the Las Vegas Aces, with whom she won a championship in 2022. She was initially drafted by the franchise, then the San Antonio Stars, sixth overall in 2015 out of Wake Forest.
Hamby filed a lawsuit against the Aces in August 2024 alleging that she was traded to the Sparks in January 2023 because of her pregnancy. In December, Hamby and the team mutually agreed to dismiss the lawsuit.
Hamby is an Olympic bronze medalist with Team USA in 3x3 basketball from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
