Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. I’m super excited to share some awesome news with you all about an incredible story unfolding in the WNBA. Recently, I stumbled upon an article that caught my eye, and it was about Dearica Hamby’s remarkable journey to becoming a strong candidate for the WNBA’s Most Improved Player award.
Dearica Hamby is a name you might not be familiar with, but trust me, she’s making waves in the WNBA. In her tenth year in the league, Hamby has nearly doubled her output in points, rebounds, and assists. This impressive leap has her on everyone’s radar for the Most Improved Player award. Despite being named All-Star three times and Sixth Player of the Year twice, Hamby continues to defy expectations by achieving new heights this season.
Last season, Hamby averaged 8.9 points on 43.1% shooting alongside 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists. This year, those numbers have nearly doubled; she’s averaging 17.1 points on 50.9% shooting, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. Her scoring, rebounding, and assists are the highest of her career, while her field goal percentage is her best since 2021.
“I know people would argue like, ‘you’ve always been good,’ but I still think I also improved my skillset,” Hamby told SB Nation. “I’ve been able to be super efficient with that.”
Hamby’s coach, Curt Miller, has been a big supporter of her candidacy. “She flat-out deserves the Most Improved Player in the league—her shooting percentage is up, her points are up, her rebounds are up, every statistical category is up,” Miller said. “To me, ‘most improved’ is not just one area improvement. A Most Improved Player should have a diversity of improvement. She checks the box in every single area.”
Hamby’s journey isn’t without its challenges. She faced pregnancy discrimination with the Las Vegas Aces, which ultimately led to her trade to the Los Angeles Sparks. Despite these obstacles, she continues to thrive and has become a leader on her team.
Her three-point percentage is up this season (33.6%, up from 22% last year), as is her field goal percentage (50.1% this year up from 43.1% last year). She’s scored at least 20 points in 13 games, achieving the feat more times than she did in her first nine seasons combined. This season, she also became the franchise leader in rebounds in a single season.
Hamby’s hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed. She’s been a primary option alongside rookie Rickea Jackson, and her availability has been key; in two years in Los Angeles, Jackson hasn’t missed a game, something Hamby describes as a blessing.
The Sparks are a younger team dealing with their fair share of injuries. Rookie Cameron Brink tore her ACL in June and has missed most of the season. Azurá Stevens missed the first 20 games of the year. Lexie Brown has sat out much of the year dealing with Crohn’s disease. However, there have also been positive developments; Rickea Jackson has broken through in her rookie year, and Odyssey Sims has been a bright spot since joining the team midseason.
Hamby didn’t become a candidate for Most Improved Player by accident; it was something she set out to achieve in the offseason. “It was a goal that I set,” Hamby said. “I’ve shown what I am capable of. I’ve downplayed myself a little bit in the past for the betterment of the teams that I was on, which was okay for the circumstances. But just to show myself that I am capable of being the player, the superstar player, the go-to player for a team, I think it would mean a lot.”
If you want, you can check out the news where I found it here.
Yours truly,
Mia
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