Dearica Hamby’s historic WNBA streak wasted in Sparks loss to Angel Reese, Sky

All eyes were on the first WNBA matchup between rookies Angel Reese and Cameron Brink on Thursday night as the Chicago Sky hosted the Los Angeles Sparks. However, it was Sparks veteran Dearica Hamby who stole the show as the 30-year-old made WNBA history in an 83-73 Sky win.

Hamby recorded her fifth consecutive game with a double-double, leading all scorers with 24 points while adding 13 rebounds. She is the first WNBA player to log seven straight games with at least 17 points and nine rebounds, per Across the Timeline.

Five players accomplished those numbers in six straight games, the last being Dallas Wings star Satou Sabally in 2023.

Hamby has quickly inserted herself into the MVP conversation with an explosive start to the season. Through seven games she ranks sixth in the league in scoring and second in rebounds per game coming one board shy of seven consecutive double-doubles to begin the year.

Hamby's efforts weren’t enough on Thursday as the Sparks struggled to find consistency on offense against a stingy Sky team. LA was held to 16 or fewer points in three quarters in the loss, failing to reach 75 points in a game for the third time this season.

The defeat dropped the Sparks to 2-5, not the ideal start for a team looking to end its unfortunate playoff streak. After reaching the postseason in 20 of their first 24 seasons, the Sparks failed to make the playoffs in the last three years.

Brink, Reese disappoint in inaugural WNBA clash

Anyone who expected to see Cameron Brink and Angel Reese go head-to-head in a heated battle on Thursday was in for a bad surprise. Both former college stars and top-seven picks had difficulty scoring, with the duo settling for 13 combined points in the contest.

Reese was held to a season-low six points and had only two points before a pair of clutch buckets in the game's final two minutes. She added six rebounds, three assists and two steals as Chicago secured its first home win of the season

Brink's transition to the pros continues to be a struggle as she finished with seven points, her fourth game with single-digit points this season. She was 3-for-11 from the field in the last two games after scoring a career-high 21 points against Dallas on May 26.

The Sparks and Sky won’t meet again until August. WNBA fans will be hoping Angel Reese and Cameron Brink bring their A-game in what will likely be another highly-anticipated matchup.

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Dearica Hamby's star grows with Sparks

Despite being a two-time All-Star before her move to the Sparks in 2023, Dearica Hamby is budding into a true superstar in her second season in LA.

In her first eight WNBA seasons, Hamby never averaged more than 13 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Although only seven games into the 2024 campaign, she is on pace to smash those averages and set new career marks in several categories.

Hamby is averaging 20.6 points and 12.7 rebounds per game on 52.4 percent shooting. She's also adding nearly four assists per game.

A role player for much of her career, Hamby transitioned to a starter with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and is second in the league in minutes per game this season. She's been on the floor for all but 19 minutes across LA's first seven games.

Hamby could use some help and the Sparks have built talent around her to make that happen. It hasn’t translated to on-court success though and the frustrations may start building in LA.

The length of the WNBA season doesn’t make a slow start an easy hole to dig out of. There's only so much Dearica Hamby can do and her MVP candidacy could soon take a hit if the Sparks don’t contend.