Sparks' Dearica Hamby displaces Diana Taurasi on all-time list vs. Liberty
The Los Angeles Sparks have started to turn their season around ever since bringing in Julie Vanloo and getting Cameron Brink back from injury, but they still couldn't overcome the defending champs on Tuesday night. Despite a valiant fight at home, the Sparks fell short against the New York Liberty in a very competitive 105-97 loss.
Despite the defeat, the Sparks continued to show the positive momentum that they have been displaying of late, especially on the offensive end. Kelsey Plum led the way with 26 points on just 13 shots, and Dearica Hamby added 21 of her own.
Hamby also affected the game on the glass, leading the team with eight rebounds. In the process, she passed the legendary Diana Taurasi for 26th on the WNBA all-time rebounding list, according to the team in an announcement on social media.
Hamby has been a stellar rebounder all season, coming into the night averaging nearly eight boards a game. She was also the team's second-leading scorer at just under 18 points a night, so she has been one of the engines for Lynne Roberts' club in multiple facets of the game.
There is some reason for concern in Los Angeles coming out of this game after Brink tweaked her ankle and missed the entire second half. The second-year standout just recently got back after recovering from a torn ACL that kept her out for more than a calendar year, so any minor setback will be met with a heightened level of concern.
Even with Brink out, the depth and variety of scorers that the Sparks have was on display on Tuesday night. In addition to the great showings from Hamby and Plum, Los Angeles got double-figure nights from both Rickea Jackson and Azura Stevens.
This loss dropped the Sparks to 15-17 on the season, but they are still 7-3 in their last 10 games and are playing some of their best basketball of the season at this point as the final push gets closer. At the moment, they are just a game behind the Seattle Storm for the eighth and final playoff spot with eight games to go until the playoffs, so urgency will be high.
However, if the Sparks can continue to play good basketball and get contributions from Hamby and the rest of the roster, it will be very difficult to keep them out of the postseason.
Related: Cameron Brinks gets injury update after leaving game vs. Liberty
Related: Sparks' Cameron Brink dealing with apparent ankle injury during Liberty clash
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