Sports
Dearica Hamby helps spur Sparks teammate Rae Burrell's development
Every time Dearica Hamby substitutes out of a game or goes into a timeout, she tells Rae Burrell the same thing:
Stay ready.
“She’s playing behind two of the best guards in this league, so it’s very hard to find consistent minutes, especially with the format of the league,” Hamby said. “… But I try to remind her every game, because for me, I’ve been a role player. I’ve been that player that wanted to fight for more and felt like they deserved more.”
And on Feb. 21, Burrell got the opportunity she had been waiting on ever since she signed to Unrivaled, the three-on-three women’s basketball league started up by WNBA players Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Vinyl Basketball Club, the team featuring Burrell and Hamby, had blown a fourth quarter lead to the Mist. Hamby immediately got the lead back on a fast break layup and from there, Burrell took over.
Vinyl’s Dearica Hamby catches a rebound in front of teammate Rae Burrell and Rose’s Azura Stevens during an Unrivaled game on Jan. 17 in Medley, Fla.
(Marta Lavandier / Associated Press)
She went coast-to-coast off the inbound, slashing her way to the rim and hitting a floater. During the next possession, Burrell froze her defender with a head fake that opened up just enough space for her to lay it up. Then, she drained a three. Hamby tried to ice the game with a layup on the Vinyl’s ensuing possession, but her shot banked off the glass and bounced off the front of the rim. The Mist’s Stewart ran the floor, but her layup attempt rimmed out and landed right into the hands of Hamby, who launched a perfectly placed pass from one free throw line to the other for Burrell’s ninth consecutive point — the game winner.
“I just feel like that was like the perfect ending to the game,” Burrell said. “Especially because I feel like I was hitting her throughout the game, and then for her to give me that assist to my first win in Unrivaled as well, it was a special moment for me.”
Hamby assisted Burrell on the final three scores of that game, a testament to how much the chemistry between the two Sparks teammates has grown during the offseason. But there’s also something deeper there: a friendship that predates their time with Unrivaled and the Sparks.
Before being traded to the Sparks in 2023, Hamby was a member of the Las Vegas Aces and she’d occasionally cross paths with Burrell, a Las Vegas native who at the time was a five-star high school recruit.
“She was always just kind of around, but we didn’t have a relationship,” Hamby recalled.
Burrell would go on to star at the University of Tennessee for four years before being drafted ninth overall by the Sparks in the 2022 WNBA draft. Once Hamby was acquired by the Sparks a year later, the two still weren’t close but would carpool on drives back to Vegas. In the event that only one of them was making the four-hour trip, they’d ask each other for favors such as taking their dog with them.
Hamby says the friendship really began to take off last season, when she lived three doors down from Burrell in team housing and they began spending a lot more time together.
“I can’t give you like a pinpoint moment,” Hamby said. “But we’ve just kind of gravitated towards each other.”
Vinyl wing Rae Burrell, center, tries to slip past pressure from Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier, left, and wing Allisha Gray during their Unrivaled semifinal game on March 16 in Medley, Fla.
(Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)
The two also lived near each other at Miami-based Unrivaled, which has brought them even closer. Hamby sometimes popped in on Burrell’s workouts. Burrell often visited Hamby and her two kids at her apartment. Hamby typically cooked — spaghetti and meatballs is one dish that Burrell name dropped — while Burrell baked cookies.
That chemistry carries over onto the court. Burrell loves running the pick-and-roll after learning to read where Hamby’s going to be and what moves she likes to get to. Hamby’s also constantly communicating on the floor, telling Burrell when to wait, when to come off a screen, when to stay on it or when to pass.
“The thing about Dearica, she never stops talking,” Burrell said. “So when I’m on the floor with her, it’s just great because she’s always just communicating what play she wants to be run. It’s just very easy to play with her.”
Burrell refers to Hamby as her mom on the team. She’s always going to her for advice, and Hamby always seems to know when to nurture and when to light a fire under Burrell.
During the offseason, the two spent anywhere from three to five hours a day together in the gym, with Burrell eager to learn from the Olympian and three-time WNBA All-Star. But beyond the Xs and O’s, Hamby has focused on showing Burrell how to navigate the professional basketball world. She noted that Burrell — entering just her fourth WNBA season — has already dealt with a season-ending injury, being cut from training camp, playing on a hardship contract and signing a multi-year contract.
“She’s kind of gone through every process that she can as a pro,” Hamby said. “[I’m] just trying to just keep reminding her that her moment’s coming, and that we’re going to rely on her a lot. And I would say being able to kind of see her in a different element at Unrivaled has shifted my perspective.”
It’s not just the flashes of potential and confidence from Burrell that have impressed Hamby. It’s also her work ethic, how seriously she approaches the offseason. It’s her willingness to change her shot and being strict about her diet, which Hamby says even she hasn’t done during her career. It’s how Burrell’s always in the gym first thing every morning and never missing a workout, even if she was “still being her silly self late at night.”
And for as much as Hamby has helped Burrell’s development as a young player, the inverse is also true: Burrell has been instrumental in Hamby’s growth as a leader. Hamby said her leadership style has always been more empathetic and nurturing because she’s a mother, but she’s shied away from having tough conversations because she didn’t want to hurt anyone. But she’s been forced to have those conversations with Burrell, even if they’re uncomfortable, because of the care and respect they have for each other.
Sparks guard Rae Burrell celebrates after scoring against the New York Liberty at Crypto.com Arena on Aug. 28.
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
“There was a couple days we didn’t speak,” Hamby said. “But you know, we came back together and it was like, ‘OK, look.’ And I said, ‘You know, this is what I meant. And like, I want the best for you, so like, I’m standing on that.’ And she was very receptive. And I think it was just a very critical moment for both of us, for different reasons.”
Kelsey Plum played with Hamby for six seasons in Las Vegas and when the two reunited this offseason after the Sparks traded for Plum, one of the first things she noticed was Hamby’s growth.
“You can see it just in the way you talk to her and her interactions,” Plum said. “And someone like Rae is super fortunate to be able to have Dearica, because she’s so loving and nurturing. As a young player, what a gift to have a player like that, that is a perennial All-Star, but takes the time to care about your day-to-day.”
Sparks assistant coach Zak Buncik, who’s also an assistant coach for the Vinyl, sees it too.
“They’re around each other all the time. It’s kind of like the W, like they’re staying in the same hotel. They’re around each other every day,” he said. “They just lean on one another.”
Hamby and Burrell are excited about what the upcoming WNBA season holds.
In addition to the Plum trade, the Sparks signed free agents Emma Cannon, Mercedes Russell and Shaneice Swain. The team will also be running a new offense under new coach Lynne Roberts, which Hamby is excited about.
Hamby’s also looking forward to seeing how Burrell’s confidence carries over back into the WNBA. She fully believes that Burrell can be a solid sixth woman — if not a full-time starter — on this year’s squad, and she foresees a lot more than that down the line.
“When I had that talk with her, I said, ‘You know, in two to three years when you’re an All-Star, you’re gonna look back and you’re gonna thank me,’” Hamby said. “I think when her number’s called though, either way she’s going to be ready.”
Sports
Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway
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Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.
McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.
A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.
WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.
“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.
No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.
In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)
Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.
McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.
He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”
“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”
Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)
State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.
“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video.
“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.
An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.
The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.
After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”
Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.
McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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PHOENIX — Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow is an admitted overthinker. But you wouldn’t know it based on his efficient first spring training start Thursday against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch.
Glasnow pitched two-plus innings, retiring the first six batters before coming out after giving up a single to start the third inning. Using a pitch mix that included a fastball that sat at 97 mph, Glasnow struck out the side in the first inning before recording another strikeout to close out the second. Having thrown just 28 pitches, Glasnow started the third inning and threw three more pitches before coming out of the Dodgers’ 7-6 win.
“Very in rhythm,” manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “Very efficient, used his entire pitch mix, it was really good. Good to see him get into the third inning. Positive day.”
The 32-year-old entering his third season with the Dodgers credits his coaches for keeping his mechanics on point.
“It allows me to just go out and pitch and be athletic,” Glasnow said after his outing. “I’m able to just go out and play baseball as opposed to trying to tinker and fix certain stuff.”
Though he was plagued by injuries in his second season with the Dodgers, Glasnow finished on a high note, giving up just four earned runs over 21-1/3 postseason innings, good for a 1.69 ERA, pitching as a starter and a reliever. It was Glasnow’s first taste of the postseason as a Dodger, since a right-elbow injury ended his 2024 campaign in August, and was highlighted by his first career save in Game 6 of the World Series.
Glasnow called the experience “great.”
“When you go in with all those nerves and that pressure and that excitement, it’s just such an unbelievable feeling to go out [there],” he said last week. “Especially to be a starter and a reliever and just to be thrown into different situations. It was awesome. It was extremely memorable for me, and I’m craving to do it again. And hopefully we can do it again and get a three-peat.”
Looking to build off his impressive postseason, Glasnow enters the season with a newfound confidence.
Last year Glasnow was placed on the injured list because of right shoulder inflammation at the end of April and did not pitch again until just before the All-Star Break. The Santa Clarita native has a long history of injuries — including Tommy John surgery in 2021 — and never has clocked more than 135 innings in a season.
Over the winter he got married and made adjustments that he hopes will better his health. A successful season means staying off the IL.
“Pitching well and staying healthy,” Glasnow said when asked about goals. “Just doing all that and trying to make as many starts as I can, and just executing every start and being healthy in the postseason.”
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NEWARK, N.J. – It’s been a long few days for Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson. He scored a critical goal for Team USA in the team’s semifinal match against Slovakia, and then went on to help the U.S. ultimately defeat Canada on Sunday to capture the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Thompson admitted after Wednesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, the first NHL game for Buffalo since the Olympic break, that he was tired, rusty and sluggish on the ice. But most fans wouldn’t know it. Thompson scored Buffalo’s first goal of the night and assisted on the second as the Sabres emerged with a 2-1 victory over the Devils.
New Jersey Devils’ Jack Hughes, right, and Buffalo Sabres’ Tage Thompson gesture to fans before an NHL hockey game in Newark, New Jersey, on Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Jack Hughes, a Devils star and the Team USA skater who scored the game-winning goal in overtime to defeat Canada, was honored by the team during a pregame ceremony. Hughes pulled an incredibly classy move and brought Thompson out to center ice, so the crowd could cheer the pair together.
Still, as impressive as Thompson’s return to the ice was, the story for much of the media following Team USA’s historic gold medal win revolves around the team’s trip to the White House and appearance during Tuesday’s State of the Union address by President Trump.
White House Visit, MAGA Hat Photo Spark Backlash
Thompson, in particular, found himself in the crosshairs of the radical left-wing media mob because he was photographed wearing Trump’s famous “Make America Great Again” hat alongside press secretary Karoline Leavitt and several teammates.
Karoline Leavitt shared a photo to social media posing with deputy director of communications, Margo Martin, and several members of Team USA. The photo included Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, Jack and Quinn Hughes, and Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson. Both Hughes brothers wore red and white USA hats, while Thompson sported a “Make America Great Again” hat, prompting widespread backlash on social media. (Karoline Leavitt via Instagram)
I asked Thompson after the game if he had any response to the criticism over his hat choice.
“I’m proud to be an American, and I have my own faith, my own beliefs, and everyone’s entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, as well,” Thompson said diplomatically as he sat at his locker after the game. “I think we should be able to live in peace knowing that not everyone’s going to agree with you.”
Speaking of Thompson’s faith, I also asked him about his Christian beliefs that helped shape everything in his life.
“Jesus is everything to me. Obviously, we’re made imperfect. We’re all sinners, and we need him. And I fall short every single day, and he’s the one I rely on,” Thompson said.
Buffalo Sabres’ Tage Thompson (72) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils in Newark, New Jersey, on Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
“I think when you have that sense of hope, the grace and the mercy that I receive every day from him is something that gives me peace and joy in life, no matter what I do. And he’s blessed me with this game and this opportunity to play the game I love at a high level, a beautiful family and friends, people surround me that I love. And I’m just very grateful.”
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I think American hockey fans can confidently say they are grateful to Tage Thompson and all the players on the Team USA men’s hockey squad that helped deliver one of the most monumental gold medals in U.S. Winter Olympics history.
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