Dearica Hamby on 'bittersweet' emotions in replacing Cameron Brink for United States Olympic team

The Los Angeles Sparks forward spoke about replacing Brink, who was the No. 2 pick in the WNBA Draft, for the 3-on-3 United States women's basketball team next month.

PHOENIX — Dearica Hamby, who tied a career-high 29 points in her Los Angeles Sparks’ 92-78 loss to the Phoenix Mercury at Footprint Center on Friday, in an exclusive interview with Desert Wave Media spoke about the Sparks’ 4-14 start to the regular season. The Sparks are now tied with the Washington Mystics for the WNBA’s worst record.

“That was a tough road stretch,” said Hamby of the Sparks’ winless seven-game road trip in which they lost Cameron Brink to a season-ending injury and Lexie Brown indefinitely with Chron’s disease. “We got a few days under ourself to reset and hopefully, regroup.”

Hamby was recently named the replacement for Brink for the United States women’s basketball 3-on-3 team for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Hamby said it will be “bittersweet” to replace Brink, who suffered a torn ACL in her left knee in a game versus the Connecticut Sun on June 18.

“Heartbroken for her, knowing how much she wanted to be on that team and looking forward to going to Paris,” Hamby said.

“Now, I think I’ve soaked it all in and dealt with all the bittersweet emotions of it. But now, I can kind of be excited for myself.”

Hamby offered her perspective on the 3-on-3 half-court setting for the Paris Games versus a 5-on-5 typical basketball game.

“The pace of the game, it’s half-court, it’s a very physical game,” Hamby said. “The refs don’t really call fouls. Just like little nuances that you don’t have in 5-on-5.”

The 30-year-old Hamby drew praise from Mercury guard Diana Taurasi postgame.

“She’s just playing unbelievable basketball. I think I sat here last time (she referred to the Mercury’s 78-64 win over the Sparks earlier this month) saying how she’s the prototype player of the future. Today, she did it again.”