LOS ANGELES — Dearica Hamby didn't choose the Sparks. Just speaking to the team on the phone when the Las Vegas Aces made it clear they intended to trade the two-time All-Star moved Hamby to tears.
But hearing the emotion from Sparks general manager Karen Bryant on the other end of the line made Hamby know the Sparks were happily choosing her.
"I kind of fell in love with that," Hamby said Wednesday in her first public comments since joining the Sparks in a trade that rocked the WNBA after the expecting mother posted a statement on Instagram accusing members of the Aces of discrimination.