Rae Burrell and Dearica Hamby hope time together on Unrivaled team will carry over to LA Sparks
Rae Burrell and Dearica Hamby hope time together on Unrivaled team will carry over to LA Sparks
Los Angeles Sparks teammates Rae Burrell and Dearica Hamby are getting the chance to further build their chemistry on and off the court this offseason as they play together at Unrivaled.
It was evident on the court the other night when the pair combined to score all the points in the fourth quarter of Team Vinyl’s win over Team Mist. Burrell scored the final nine, including the game-winner on an assist from Hamby.
“I was so happy when I found out that we’d be playing together,” Burrell told the AP. “Dearica is a great vet always making sure I’m good.”
Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 league, is the latest chance for the duo to workout together in the offseason. They’ve trained in Las Vegas in the past as both spend time there, living a few minutes from each other.
“We get to workout together and I also get to hang out with Legend and Amaya,” Burrell said of Hamby’s two children. “Developing that relationship helped when we were together in LA. We basically spend every day together in the offseason.”
Burrell, like many of the players at Unrivaled, enjoyed that she had a chance to stay in the U.S. this offseason and not go overseas to play. She’s played in Australia and Belgium in the past, but this year she was home for the holidays with her family.
“I was able to stay home and work on my game and be with my family,” she said.
Her play is getting better as she’s third on her Unrivaled team in points per minute. Hamby is leading the Vinyl team in points.
“Rae’s one of (the Sparks) young dynamic pieces that we are looking to build around,” Hamby said. “So for her to continue to play in the offseason and get some confidence and develop chemistry between us and our other teammates, it’s a good opportunity for our team.”
Burrell hopes her play in Miami carries over to Los Angeles this spring. Burrell will be entering her fourth season with the Sparks. She started seven games last year.
“Definitely during the offseason I’m always trying to work on my game and this is one of the things that will help me do that,” she said.
The Vinyl pair are two of four Sparks players competing in the new league. Azura Stevens and Rickea Jackson are also part of the Miami based basketball league. Cameron Brink was also included, but is still recovering from her ACL injury. The four active players are tied for the most of any WNBA team in the league.
The four playing in Unrivaled live in the same apartment complex along with the other 30-plus players, giving the Sparks players a chance to further bond off the court.
New Sparks coach Lynne Roberts went down to Miami for a weekend to watch her players compete. The group went out to brunch one day.
“It was really cool to hang out with them. To see them all in one spot, they seemed very happy. The vibe was good,’ she told the AP. “Being down there, there’s an emphasis on player development. That’s really cool.”
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer
