The Sparks have hit the end of the first quarter of the 2024 WNBA season and sit at 3-7, placing them 10th in the standings. Wins may be few and far between, but what players have shined during the beginning of the year?
Here is a look at team awards at the quarter mark:
MVP: Dearica Hamby
You may have a different favorite, but you can’t name a better player on this Sparks team than Dearica Hamby. She’s averaging 20.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game. All these numbers are team highs and career highs.
During training camp, head coach Curt Miller mentioned that there wasn’t a bonafide leader on this team, but 10 games in, Miller’s hypothesis is not supported by the evidence on the floor. There is a leader—and it’s Hamby. She’s the best player, a consummate professional and a vocal leader on and off the floor.
Hamby is already a two-time All-Star, and if she continues this level of play, she’ll be heading to Phoenix this July to represent the Sparks for her third All-Star honor.
DPOY: Cameron Brink
How good Cameron Brink already is as a defender in her rookie year is ineffable. The WNBA could double the size of the rim, and it wouldn’t matter because any shot attempts near the basket are getting blocked by Brink anyways….
