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By Cassandra Cousineau, LVSportsBiz.com WNBA Writer
In a surprising announcement early Saturday morning, Las Vegas Aces said the team was parting ways with All-Star and fan favorite Dearica Hamby, who made one of the franchise’s most memorable shots in the 2019 WNBA playoffs.
The defending WNBA champion is sending the six-foot, three-inch Hamby, an athletic power forward known for her tenacious rebounding and running the floor, to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for six-foot, five-inch center Amanda Zahui B. In addition, the Aces will trade their 2024 first-round pick with the Sparks and in exchange for Los Angeles’ 2024 second-round pick.
During the 2022 season, Hamby was the third Aces starter to sign a new deal last season along with guard, Jackie Young and eighth-year guard Chelsea Gray, both of whom also signed two-year extensions. Hamby was seen as a core player to the Aces championship team.
She expressed her thoughts about the trade on IG:
At the time of the signing last year, Aces General Manager, Natalie Williams stated, “We are very happy to re-sign two-time Sixth Player of the Year and two-time All-Star Dearica Hamby to a multi year contract extension. She has been a key piece of our core group for several years now, and her energy and hustle will be invaluable to our future success.”
Aces coach Becky Hammon lauded Hamby for coming off the bench and helping the Aces win Game 1 against Connecticut in the WNBA Finals last year: “She was phenomenal. She was ready to go. I just got to the point where I was like, my biggest, baddest beast is sitting over there. I’ve just got to throw her in. They want to play a rough game; she’s my girl.”
The trade also was particularly surprising because the two-time Sixth Player of the Year is currently out on maternity leave preparing to get birth to her second child. Last week, Hamby posted a cryptic message to Twitter.
Before a leg contusion injury sidelined her late in the 2022 season, Hamby was posting 12.8 points/game, a career-high 8.9 rebounds/game, and 1.3 steals/game on 53.5 percent shooting from the field.
According to hoopstats.com, she was guaranteed $152,800 in 2022 and contracts worth $169,000 for 2023 and 2024, making her an Unrestricted Free Agent after that.
San Antonio selected Hamby with the sixth overall pick of the 2015 WNBA Draft, and her 242 games played with the Stars/Aces are the second most in team history.
Hamby made one of the franchise’s most memorable shots with “The Hamby Heave” when she made a steal and made a 35-foot shot late in the Aces 2019 Second Round Playoff game against Chicago, which sent Las Vegas on to the WNBA Semifinals for the first time in a decade.