The USA women's 3X3 team earned a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Haily Van Lith, who was the only college athlete on any of the USA's basketball rosters, led the team in total points scored. Los Angeles Sparks star Dearica Hamby also played a big role for Team USA. However, Hamby revealed her favorite part of playing at the event stemmed from something that happened off the floor, per Hamby's X (formerly Twitter) account.
"The best part of my experience was ppl coming up to me and telling me how proud Amaya was. On the plane she was telling everyone…at the games everyone knew who her mom wasPpl were messaging me that she met at Disney…around the hotel. She stayed up late nights to make sure she fell asleep with me. She had the best time," Hamby wrote.
Hamby's daughter, Amaya, clearly enjoyed her time at the Olympics. The Sparks star enjoyed seeing her daughter have such a great time.
Dearica Hamby is an Olympic medalist
Hamby was selected as a replacement for the team after her Sparks teammate, Cameron Brink, suffered an injury. She made the most of the opportunity and is now an Olympic medalist. Hamby and Team USA wanted to win gold but earning any kind of medal at the Olympics is quite the accomplishment.
The 30-year-old is currently in her second season with the Sparks. She has played well, ultimately earning her third career All-Star selection in 2024. Hamby is averaging 19.2 points per game on 52 percent field goal and 40.4 percent three-point shooting. She is also averaging a career-high 10.0 rebounds to go along with 3.5 assists per outing.
Participating in the Olympics is a memory that every athlete can cherish forever. It is something that many young athletes dream of accomplishing at some point in their lives. It surely meant even more for Hamby since her daughter was able to witness her accomplishment.
Hamby will now focus on preparing for the remainder of the 2024 WNBA season.