by The Aces agreed to a blockbuster trade for star forward Dearica Hamby on Saturday, a stunning move that comes just over four months after the franchise won its first WNBA championship.
Las Vegas will send Hamby, 29, and a 2024 first-round pick to the Sparks in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick and the negotiating rights to forward Amanda Zahui B., the teams announced. Zahui B., 29, is currently a free agent after spending the past two seasons with LA
“Dearica has dedicated eight years of her career to this organization and played a major role in our success since the team moved to Las Vegas,” Aces general manager Natalie Williams said in a statement. “We will miss her as a teammate and are grateful for all her contributions to the Aces over the years.”
Hamby later shared a message on Twitter thanking fans for their support following news of the trade. It is unclear when the eight-year veteran will return to action after announcing she was pregnant with her second child during the Aces’ championship parade in September.
“Thanks for the love!!! The best is yet to come! Looking forward to being in LA and can’t wait to get back on track,” Hamby tweeted.
The decision to move on from Hamby comes at an interesting time for the reigning champions, as the team gear up to claim another title. The two-time All-Star and WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year has played an important role for the Aces in recent seasons, signing a two-year extension in June before the start of the 2022 campaign.
Hamby started 32 of his 34 games played last season, averaging 9.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game en route to earning his second straight All-Star nod. However, a knee injury would limit Hamby entering the playoffs, causing her to miss the first round and play just eight minutes over two games in the semifinals. In the final against the Sun, Hamby scored seven points with seven rebounds and five assists during the team’s 3–1 series victory.
Hamby is now headed to LA after spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Aces organization. Drafted sixth overall out of Wake Forest in 2015, Hamby spent his first three seasons as a member of the San Antonio Silver Stars before the club moved to Las Vegas in 2018.
For his career, Hamby has averaged 9.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 85 starts.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas will look to secure another veteran presence in Zahui B. in an effort to bolster their roster for a title defense. Drafted second overall in ’15, Zahui B. signed with LA as a free agent in ’21, but sat out the entire ’22 season after the Sparks suspended her contract. The eight-year pro averaged a career-high 9.2 points to go with 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks with LA in the ’21 season.
The Hamby trade adds to the growing buzz around the WNBA following the start of the free agency negotiation period at midnight on Saturday. Jonquel Jones’ seismic trade to the Liberty kicked off the offseason in earnest earlier this week, with other notable players like free agents Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot set to make big decisions. Teams can start signing players on February 1st.
