Dearica Hamby is one of the most versatile and impactful players in the WNBA. The Los Angeles Sparks forward, who won the WNBA title with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022, has overcome many challenges and obstacles in her journey from college to the pros. Here are some of the highlights of her career so far:
The WNBA star has an impressive net worth of around $500,000, which reflects her successful and illustrious basketball career. With her talent, skills, and popularity, there is no doubt that her income and wealth will continue to rise as she pursues her passion and goals.
Dearica Hamby has an estimated net worth of $500,000 as of now. Image Source: Instagram@dearicamarie
Hamby inked a three-year deal with the Las Vegas Aces, with an undisclosed annual average salary. In 2024, she is set to receive a base salary of $169,000, with a corresponding cap hit of $169,000.
From 2011 to 2015, Hamby played for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. She was the best player in the Atlantic Coast League (ACC). As a junior, she led the country's best league in both scoring and rebounding. Being the first Demon Deacon to lead the ACC in both areas in the same season was a big deal.
In addition, she also had 1,801 points and 1,021 rebounds, making Wake Forest's all-time top scorer and rebounder. In 2014, she was named to the first team of All-ACC players and was in the running for the John R. Wooden Award, given to the best female college basketball player in the country.
The San Antonio Stars picked Hamby with the sixth overall pick in the 2015 WNBA draft. She played for the Stars until they moved to Las Vegas and changed their name to the Aces in 2018. Hamby won the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year award twice, in 2019 and 2020, after becoming one of the best bench players in the league. In 2021 and 2022, she also played in two WNBA All-Star games.
Dearica Hamby is a professional WNBA player. Image Source: Instagram@dearicamarie
Likewise, she is best known for her clutch performance in the 2019 WNBA playoffs, when she hit a game-winning shot from near half-court against the Chicago Sky in the second round. The shot, dubbed “the Hamby Heave”, secured an Aces win and became one of the most memorable moments in WNBA history.
When Hamby helped the Aces win their first WNBA title in 2022, it was the high point of her career. During the playoffs, she scored 11.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. Against the Connecticut Sun in the Finals, she was a key player. That same year, she won the Commissioner's Cup with the Aces.
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Hamby was sold to the Los Angeles Sparks in February 2023. He was part of a huge deal that also included Liz Cambage and Nneka Ogwumike. A lot of fans and experts were shocked by the trade, since Hamby had just signed a new, multi-year deal with the Aces in June 2022.
When she sued the Aces and the WNBA for discrimination in September 2023, she said she was traded without her knowledge or permission while she was pregnant with her second kid. She said that the Aces management treated her badly and wouldn't let her get the medical care she needed while she was pregnant.
For the 2023–2024 season, Hamby went back to the court with the Sparks, teaming up with the Ogwumike sisters and Azura Stevens. It was her 8.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game that helped the Sparks finish fourth in the Western Conference and make the playoffs.
The WNBA star had a double-double in her last game of the season, a win over the Washington Mystics on September 3. She scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Dearica Hamby is married to Alonzo Nelson-Ododa, who is also a basketball player. The couple met while attending Norcross High School in Georgia, where they both excelled in sports and academics. They got married in front of their closest friends and family, although the exact date of their wedding is unknown.
Dearica Hamby alongside the former basketball legend Kobe Bryant. Image Source: Instagram@dearicamarie
Hamby and Nelson-Ododa have two children together. Their daughter, Amaya, was born in February 2017 and is often seen cheering for her mother at the games. In March 2023, Hamby announced the birth of their second child on her Instagram account.
