Sports

Dearica Hamby helps spur Sparks teammate Rae Burrell's development

Published

1 week ago

May 4, 2025

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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 holds the ball and tries to split between Owls forward Napheesa Collier and wing Allisha Gray

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.

“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

Rory McIlroy talks coldness toward Bryson DeChambeau during Masters

Published

4 minutes ago

May 14, 2025

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Rory McIlroy talks coldness toward Bryson DeChambeau during Masters

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Rory McIlroy is fresh off finishing his career Grand Slam, finally winning the Masters, and earning his place on top of the golf world.

As he geared up for the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, McIlroy was asked about his icy reception toward Bryson DeChambeau during the Masters. The two were paired up together for the final round at Augusta and DeChambeau mentioned that McIlroy “didn’t talk” to him once during it.

Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy shake hands during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2025. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)

McIlroy brushed it off when he talked to reporters on Wednesday.

“I don’t know what he was expecting,” he said. “I mean, we’re trying to win the Masters. I’m not gonna try to be his best mate right there.

“Look, everyone approaches the game in different ways. And yeah, I was focused on myself and what I needed to do and that’s really all that it was. It wasn’t anything against him. I felt like that’s what I needed to do to try to get the best out of myself that day.”

Rory McIlroy speaks during a news conference at the PGA Championship at the Quail Hollow Club, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt York)

GOLFER HUNTER MAHAN SUGGESTS PGA CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE SHARES SIMILARITIES WITH THE KARDASHIANS

DeChambeau said last month that McIlroy appeared to be in the zone.

Despite a blunder-filled day, McIlroy completed the career slam with his first win at Augusta National after defeating Justin Rose in a one-hole playoff on 18 after Rose missed a 15-foot putt for birdie.

Bryson DeChambeau during a practice round for the PGA Championship, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

McIlroy will now look for a third PGA Championship title. He won in 2012 and 2014.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

Sports

Commentary: Roki Sasaki's shoulder issue leaves Dodgers in a familiar and problematic position

Published

1 hour ago

May 14, 2025

Press Room

Commentary: Roki Sasaki's shoulder issue leaves Dodgers in a familiar and problematic position

Like pretty much every other time the Dodgers have found themselves in a self-made mess, the task of downplaying a major problem once again was made the responsibility of manager Dave Roberts.

So, in the aftermath of a deflating 11-1 defeat by the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night, Roberts trudged into the interview room at Dodger Stadium and applied a good old Stan Kasten spin to Roki Sasaki’s move to the 15-day injured list.

The point relayed by Roberts was basically this: Sasaki underwhelmed in his eight major league starts because of a shoulder pain that he kept secret from the Dodgers “for the last weeks,” and not because the 23-year-old rookie right-hander wasn’t as good as they previously thought.

“He hasn’t been as productive as he would have liked because he was compromised,” said Roberts, who added that Sasaki revealed his condition to the team after his most recent start.

The explanation raised an equally alarming possibility, however.

If Roberts’ story was accurate, and Sasaki experienced a shoulder impingement similar to the one that slowed him down last year in Japan, wouldn’t that point to a chronic problem?

As it was, Sasaki was already viewed as a high injury risk. He never remained healthy for an entire season with the Chiba Lotte Marines.

At this point, what’s worse? That Sasaki’s lack of control and decline in fastball velocity were because of a chronic shoulder issue? Or because he just was too raw to compete in the major leagues?

Either scenario would be problematic.

So, what now?

As much as the Dodgers sold Sasaki on how they could one day guide him to a Cy Young Award, his future isn’t their only priority. They also have to consider what’s best for their team, which is positioned to become baseball’s first repeat champion in a quarter century.

Even if the Dodgers acknowledge that Sasaki is more of a long-term project than a short-term solution and want to send him to the minor leagues when he returns, they might not have the luxury of doing so. They have signed four potential frontline pitchers in the last two years, and three of them are currently on the injured list — Sasaki, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. The other, two-way player Shohei Ohtani, isn’t expected to pitch until after the All-Star break.

Snell was examined by a team doctor on Tuesday but the team didn’t provide any details about his condition. Glasnow played catch but Roberts didn’t provide a timeline for his return.

The rotation is in such a state of ruin that not only were the Dodgers forced to start Landon Knack on Tuesday, they were desperately awaiting the return of 37-year-old Clayton Kershaw four days later.

Roberts described Sasaki’s injury as “benign” but didn’t say when he might resume throwing. The manager insisted there were no thoughts of sending him to the minors, despite Sasaki posting a 4.72 earned-run average and completing six innings in just one start.

“I think our goal is to get him healthy, get him strong, make sure his delivery is sound for him to pitch for us,” Roberts said.

In other words, Sasaki will return to the mound in the major leagues. He will have to gain familiarity with low-quality American baseballs in the major leagues. He will have to become more comfortable with the pitch clock in the major leagues. He will have to strengthen his body to prevent future injuries in the major leagues. He will have to learn to throw something other than a fastball, forkball and slider in the major leagues.

The Dodgers knew Sasaki would require an adjustment period, but they couldn’t have imagined anything this drastic.

The introductory news conference they staged for Sasaki in January was matched in scale in recent years only by Ohtani’s and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s. That was where president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman declared Sasaki would start the season in the Dodgers’ rotation, and general manager Brandon Gomes compared him to Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Back then, the Dodgers’ plan for Sasaki was simple: Insert him into the rotation and watch him develop into one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Sasaki can still become everything the Dodgers envisioned, but his path to greatness has become infinitely more complicated. Roberts remained characteristically upbeat, saying Sasaki concealed his shoulder problems not because he was selfish but because he didn’t want to let down an injury-ravaged team.

“He’s a great teammate,” Roberts said.

With his rotation crumbling, Roberts didn’t have the luxury of viewing the situation any other way.

Sports

NFL will play international games in 2 new countries as 2025 schedule comes into view

Published

17 hours ago

May 13, 2025

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NFL will play international games in 2 new countries as 2025 schedule comes into view

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The NFL is playing seven international games during the 2025 season, and there is some history involved on multiple levels.

Almost all the games and teams involved were announced on Tuesday, and each destination has been set.

London, which has been the sight of NFL regular-season games since 2007, will have three contests. The NFL is also heading back to Brazil and Germany, while two countries will have its first taste of regular season football this year.

A wide view of play in the first half during an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. (Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images)

Dublin, Ireland and Madrid, Spain will also host teams vying for the Vince Lombardi Trophy next season. Here’s the full rundown of who will be playing in each game:

Week 1: TBA vs. Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo (Sept. 5)
Week 4: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings in Dublin (Sept. 28)
Week 5: Minnesota Vikings vs. Cleveland Browns in London (Oct. 5)
Week 6: Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets in London (Oct. 12)
Week 7: Los Angeles Rams vs. Jacksonville Jaguars in London (Oct. 19)
Week 10: Atlanta Falcons vs. Indianapolis Colts in Berlin (Nov. 9)
Week 11: Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Commanders in Madrid (Nov. 16)

FOX ANNOUNCES SATURDAY NFL DIVISION RIVAL DOUBLEHEADER WHEN PLAYOFF RACES GET SPICY

It was reported the Kansas City Chiefs were going to travel to Brazil to face their AFC West-rival Chargers, though the announcement with exact opponents should come Wednesday.

Also, it’s worth noting that the Vikings will become the first team in NFL history to play in two separate countries on back-to-back weeks. Their dynamic offense, which is expected to be led by J.J. McCarthy next season, will be on full display in Ireland and the United Kingdom early in the schedule.

( Tuane Fernandes/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Continuing the global initiative is what the NFL has made a point in doing, and that includes increasing the number of international games on the regular season schedule.

London was the main hub for building NFL fandom, but in 2022, the league also started to make its presence known in Germany. The Falcons-Colts matchup will be the fifth game played in the country since that year.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers made history this past season with a game in São Paulo, which was the start of Saquon Barkley’s Offensive Player of the Year season with his new squad.

Neo Quimica Arena before a game between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

And while the league is excited to see games in two different countries this season, there is already a plan in place to get one down under in Melbourne, Australia in 2026.

The season schedule for every team in the league will drop on Wednesday.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.