Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women's basketball for SB Nation, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
Dearica Hamby is a somewhat unconventional candidate for Most Improved Player -- she's been named All-Star three times, and Sixth Player of the Year twice. She's in her tenth year in the WNBA and has averaged double-figures three teams. And, she anchors the team with the worst record in the league -- the Los Angeles Sparks.
Still, it's hard to overlook what Hamby has accomplished this season, and how much of a jump she's made since last year. Last season -- her first in Los Angeles -- she averaged 8.9 points on 43.1% shooting alongside 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
This year, those numbers have nearly doubled; Hamby has averaged 17.1 points on 50.9% shooting, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. Her scoring, rebounding, and assists are the highest of her career, while her field goal percentage is her best since 2021.
"I know people would argue like, 'you've always been good', but I still think I also improved my skillset," Hamby told SB Nation. "I've been able to be super efficient with that."
Sparks head coach Curt Miller has maintained there's no doubt about Hamby's candidacy, despite her already long list of accolades.
"She flat-out deserves the Most Improved Player in the league -- her shooting percentage is up, her points are up, her rebounds are up, every statistical category is up," Miller said earlier this week. "To me, 'most improved' is not just one area improvement. A Most Improved Player, in my opinion, should have a diversity of improvement. She checks the box in every single area."
"Dearica Hamby, on a 12th place team, I don't care what place we're in -- should be, and statistically [it] says it should be -- the Most Improved Player in the league this year."
Hamby says receiving that recognition would mean a lot. She's already achieved a lot in her career, becoming an All-Star, winning an Olympic bronze medal in 3x3 basketball, winning a championship with the Aces. She's also dealt with a legal case in which she alleges she experienced pregnancy discrimination with the Aces that ultimately resulted in her trade to Los Angeles.
MIP would be a cherry on top, and knowing her coach has her back means a lot.
"He's somebody that has seen me kind of go through the entire process," Hamby said. "Obviously, I didn't get to play under him until last year, but he's been around since I've been in the league. Each year, anybody would probably argue that I've gotten better."
Her three-point percentage is up this season (33.6%, up from 22% last year), as is her field goal percentage (50.1% this year up from 43.1% last year). She's scored at least 20 points in 13 games, achieving the feat more times than she did in her first 9 seasons combined. This season, she also became the franchise leader in rebounds in a single-season.
She struggled a bit since the Olympic break, as opposing defenses have prioritized slowing her down, but, despite being the top focus of opponents' game plans, she's still been a primary option alongside rookie Rickea Jackson. Her availability has also been key; in two years in Los Angeles, Jackson hasn't missed a game, something she describes as a blessing.
"I think I've earned new respect for players that have been in similar positions," Hamby said. "It's harder to do on a team that is struggling, versus having a team that's surrounded by three or four all stars. The defense becomes pretty focused on you, obviously adjustments are made to defend you."
The Sparks are a younger team, and they've dealt with their fair share of injuries. Rookie Cameron Brink tore her ACL in June and has missed most of the season. Azurá Stevens missed the first 20 games of the year. Lexie Brown has sat out much of the year dealing with Crohn's disease.
But, there have also been a lot of positive developments. Rickea Jackson has broken through in her rookie year, and Odyssey Sims has been a bright spot since joining the team midseason.
"We have a good group, a very young, fun group," Hamby said. "Everybody wants to learn. We understand the circumstances, and although no one's going in assuming we're going to lose, but we know that it's a build year, and that each game, we're just trying to get closer and closer to the goal of winning a championship eventually. And so everybody's kind of bought into that process."
Hamby didn't become a candidate for Most Improved Player by accident. It's something she set out to achieve in the offseason, fresh off of a year that began soon after she gave birth, which resulted in her having slightly deflated averages.
"It was a goal that I set," Hamby said. "I've shown what I am capable of. I've downplayed myself a little bit in the past for the betterment of the teams that I was on, which was okay for the circumstances. But just to show myself that I am capable of being the player, the superstar player, the go-to player for a team, I think it would mean a lot."