Dearica Hamby has given the Los Angeles Sparks a steady lift to open the season, but her strong start has not been enough to hide the team’s uneven beginning. Los Angeles is 2-3, and Hamby is averaging 19.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while the Sparks search for consistency through their first five games.
Hamby’s production has been among the best in the league. She is shooting 62.7% from the field, ranks seventh in the WNBA in rebounds per game at 8.8, and is also seventh in total rebound rate at 20.9%. She sits in the top 10 leaguewide in both scoring and field-goal percentage, a sign that her offense has been efficient even as the team around her has moved in fits and starts.
Kelsey Plum has matched that early scoring pace from a different angle. She is averaging 24.6 points per game, which ranks second in the WNBA, and she leads the league with 0.9 offensive win shares. Plum and Hamby have formed the center of a Sparks attack that has leaned heavily on its top options. In the season-opening loss to Las Vegas, Plum, Hamby and Nneka Ogwumike combined for 58 points, while the rest of the roster added 20. The first meeting with the Aces ended with Los Angeles scoring 78 points.
That dependence has shown up in recent games as well. In Phoenix on May 21, 2026, the Sparks beat the Mercury 97-88, and Plum, Hamby and Ogwumike took 36 of the team’s 64 field-goal attempts. Hamby added five offensive rebounds in that win, a reminder of how much Los Angeles has needed her work on the glass to generate extra possessions.
The broader numbers explain why the Sparks still feel unfinished despite the early burst from their veterans. Los Angeles ranks 12th in the league in rebound rate, and the team has allowed a league-worst 115.9 points per 100 possessions. Opponents are shooting 68% within five feet, which ranks second-worst in the WNBA, and they are grabbing 30.6% of their own misses. That opponent offensive rebound rate ranks 14th out of 15 teams.
The scoring balance behind Plum and Hamby has also been thin. Rae Burrell and Cameron Brink are averaging eight points per game each. Ariel Atkins is at seven points per game on 29% shooting. Erica Wheeler has averaged 4.6 points per game on 24% shooting from the field. Those numbers leave Los Angeles leaning on its top producers in almost every competitive stretch, which is a fragile way to build a season.
The Sparks were expected to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 COVID-affected season, but the opening five games have made clear that expectation is still a long way from proof. The team’s lack of scoring depth and defensive problems remain the central issues, even after a win that showed what the offense can look like when its best players connect. For now, Hamby’s start stands as both the brightest sign for Los Angeles and the sharpest reminder of how much still has to go right.
