Los Angeles Sparks First Basket Stats 2026: Who Scores First
Dearica Hamby scored the Sparks’ first basket more than anyone in 2026: 12 times in 41 starts, or 29% of the games they started. Nneka Ogwumike was next with 10. The Sparks made the game’s first field goal in 43% of their 44 games and won 33% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2026 game (330 regular season, 16 playoffs, 1 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Sparks in 2026
First basket for team is the first field goal by any LAS player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for LAS | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dearica Hamby | 41 | 12 | 29% | 5 | 12% |
| Nneka Ogwumike | 42 | 10 | 24% | 8 | 19% |
| Erica Wheeler | 41 | 8 | 20% | 1 | 2% |
| Rae Burrell | 34 | 6 | 18% | 4 | 12% |
| Kelsey Plum | 11 | 5 | 45% | 1 | 9% |
| Ariel Atkins | 41 | 2 | 5% | 0 | 0% |
| Emma Cannon | 2 | 1 | 50% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Sparks scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 44 | 19 | 43% |
| Home | 22 | 10 | 45% |
| Away | 22 | 9 | 41% |
| Regular season | 44 | 19 | 43% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dearica Hamby | 40 | 12 | 30% |
| Rae Burrell | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Cameron Brink | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Nneka Ogwumike | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Team | 43 | 14 | 33% |
How the Sparks’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Layup | 20 | 45% |
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 14 | 32% |
| 3-pointer | 10 | 23% |
2025
| Player | Starts | First basket for LAS | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dearica Hamby | 0 | 13 | – | 3 | – |
| Rickea Jackson | 0 | 10 | – | 6 | – |
| Azura Stevens | 0 | 9 | – | 5 | – |
| Kelsey Plum | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – |
| Odyssey Sims | 0 | 3 | – | 2 | – |
| Julie Allemand | 0 | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| Shey Peddy | 0 | 1 | – | 0 | – |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Sparks?
Dearica Hamby, with 12 of the Sparks’ first baskets in 2026 (29% of their 41 starts), ahead of Nneka Ogwumike with 10.
How often do the Sparks score first?
The Sparks made the first field goal in 19 of 44 games in 2026 (43%): 45% at home and 41% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Sparks?
Dearica Hamby took 40 of the Sparks’ 43 opening tips in 2026 and won 30% of them.
Is Dearica Hamby a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 29% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every WNBA game; see WNBA first basket picks.
Source: WNBA play-by-play and box scores, 2026. Updated October 13, 2026. See the WNBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.