Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby just made Unrivaled history. Hamby, a member of the Vinyl Club, became the first player in the history of the 3-on-3 league to score 40 points in a game, doing so in just 17 minutes of action, and on 16-23 shooting.
1 WNBA player just made history — and it’s worth a watch
Dearica Hamby recorded Unrivaled’s first-ever 40-point game on Sunday night.
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Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
Alongside her 40 points, Hamby tallied 10 rebounds (4 offensive) and 2 assists, powering the Vinyl (1-2) to an 89-66 victory over the Hive Club (0-3).
The Vinyl were also powered by 18 points from Rhyne Howard, 14 points by Erica Wheeler, and 12 points by Courtney Williams.
The win marked the Vinyl’s first victory of the season, while the Hive remain winless. The Hive were led by Sonia Citron (17 points), Monique Billings (17 points), Kelsey Mitchell (15 points), and Ezi Magbegor (12 points).
Hamby attributed her big night to her team’s effective ball movement.
“We always talk about how we have a really special group, where everybody can score the ball at a high level. Tonight, the pick-and-roll was just there… I finish well at the basket.”
Vinyl head coach Theresa Weatherspoon praised Hamby’s performance.
“She actually creates those things that are happening on the floor, because she’s the ultimate teammate,” Weatherspoon said. “She sets those screens for a guard to get open… she has great vision.”
Dearica Hamby’s recent WNBA success is translating to Unrivaled
Unrivaled, the professional women’s basketball league co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, just completed the first week of its second season. The league boasts dozens of the WNBA’s best players, including Paige Bueckers, Kelsey Plum, Allisha Gray, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and others.
At 32 years old, Hamby is playing some of the best basketball of her career. Last season, in her third season playing for the Los Angeles Sparks, she averaged 18.4 points on 57.2% shooting, both career-bests. Hamby is a three-time All-Star (2021, 2022, 2024) and two-time Sixth Woman of the Year (2019, 2020).
Now, Hamby’s success in the WNBA season has carried over to Unrivaled. Hamby is Unrivaled’s third-leading scorer right now, trailing only Chelsea Gray, who is averaging 31.7 points per game.
“She’s added a lot to her game,” Weatherspoon said. “She’s incredibly confident. So of course she’s going to have a night like this — and many nights to come.”
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