Dearica Hamby’s was ejected early after the forward’s hand connected with an opponent’s jaw during the Los Angeles Sparks’ latest showdown as the Sparks ended a six-game skid. Hamby was left the floor early after the hard foul while her team managed to take home the 77-68 win against the Connecticut Sun, as she faces a hefty fine.
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The sequence occurred with 8:39 left in the fourth quarter. Hamby was boxing out Sun forward Raegan Beers, who was physically contesting a rebound. In retaliation, Hamby swung her right arm backwards, hitting Beers in the jaw hard and sending her to the floor. The sequence was reposted to X by Underdog WNBA.
Though no foul was immediately called, officials eventually reviewed the play. In the aftermath, Beers was assessed a loose-ball foul, whereas Hamby was ejected from the game after being given a Flagrant 2 foul. It was announced later by the Sun that Beers would not return for the rest of the game due to the jaw injury she suffered. She finished the night with eight points and seven rebounds.
This foul, which is the first Flagrant of her season, now means that Dearica Hamby will have to pay a $1,000 fine for accruing two flagrant points. If she adds two more flagrant points, she will have to sit out a game without pay, and if she’s assessed a second Flagrant 2 with three preexisting flagrant points, she will face a two-game suspension. Hamby has already recorded 107 fouls this season in the 36 games she has played, according to ESPN.
Though the ejection came when LA had firmly taken control of the game with a score of 51-66, the impact was hard to ignore. Connecticut immediately went on a run after the ejection, but time ran out before they could close the gap.
Dearica Hamby finished the night with 10 points, five boards, and two assists, making a solid contribution as one of LA’s four double-digit scorers for the game. Nneka Ogwumike recorded an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double, and Rae Burrell led all scorers, finishing with 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting while also contributing on the defensive end, adding three steals and three blocks. Erica Wheeler also logged 11 points and five assists.
This marks the first win for the Sparks in a while. The team has logged six losses in a row, but this win gives them a record of 13-24, currently 11th in the league standings. With only seven games left in the regular season, the Sparks are not making the playoffs this season.
When it comes to Dearica Hamby, the forward has been a key part of the Sparks’ rotation this season and has been one of their best players. Currently, she averages 14.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals on 55.3% from the field. She is currently in the first year of her 3-year, $3,400,000 contract with the Sparks. But Hamby wasn’t the only one contributing to the Sparks’ victory against the Sun.
Rae Burrell Leads Sparks’ Defensive Resurgence as Los Angeles Ends Six-Game Skid
Rae Burrell’s scoring was only a part of her impact. When Connecticut made their final push in the fourth quarter, her two blocks in the closing minutes helped ensure that the Sun’s comeback would end up dead in the water.
LA was in complete control of the game at the six-minute mark, up by as much as 22 points. However, Connecticut responded with a 13-0 run, cutting the lead to single digits with less than two minutes left.
That charge was led by Saniya Rivers off the bench, who finished with 14 points and four steals, but after going on an 11-0 run, Connecticut missed its last five shots, allowing the Sparks to survive the late push and end their win drought.
The defense was LA’s strength that night. The team came into the game having been eliminated from playoff contention by the Atlanta Dream after they scored a monstrous 124 points. Tonight was the exact opposite; the Sun were held to just 68 points on the night, 11 below their season average, as LA allowed just 26-of-74 shooting, including 4-of-24 from three.
This result doesn’t change anything for the Sparks when it comes to the playoffs, but it gives the team a consistent identity to build upon. Unfortunately, perhaps the team’s most exciting young player, Cameron Brink, had a tough night. Though she finished with seven points on perfect shooting, she also logged four turnovers and fouled out in just 12 minutes.
Clearly, work needs to be done, but with another top draft pick joining the team in the offseason, the future holds promise for the LA Sparks.