Here’s how Dearrica Hamby and Rikea Jackson performed in the Sparks’ games this week:

Progress isn’t all linear, and for the rebuilding Los Angeles Sparks, success likely won’t lie in wins and losses, but in the development of players like Rekea Jackson and Cameron Brink.

Last week, the Sparks got the best of both worlds.

Los Angeles won two of three games behind strong performances from its rookies and from Dearika Hamby, who was named the WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week.

The best moment was undoubtedly the Sparks’ 96-92 win over the Las Vegas Aces, but it was a number of other great individual performances that contributed to the win and an overall positive week.

Now let’s rate this week’s performance. As always, the ratings are based on the expected value of each player. A “B” rating represents an average performance for that player.

Dearica Hamby

34.5 minutes, 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals, 22-39 field goals, 2-6 three-pointers, 11-14 free throws, -12

Hamby has been the Sparks’ best player and this week was no exception: She averaged more minutes, points and steals than anyone on the team, including a 22-point, 12-rebound performance in a win over the Dallas Wings.

There isn’t much Hamby can improve on, as she is having the best year of her career and exceeding even the most optimistic projections for her as a player at the beginning of the year.

Class A

Cameron Brink

22.8 minutes, 6.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 3.3 blocks, 0.7 steals, 8-of-24 field goals, 1-of-6 three-pointers, 3-of-4 free throws, -7

Brink was on a roll, grabbing more rebounds than usual and being a good rim protector, but struggled to score, only reaching double figures once and scoring just two points against the Lynx.

Her defense is clearly elite, but her offense is still inconsistent and her shot selection has room for improvement. That will improve over time, but not this week.

Rating: C+

Kia Nurse

15.8 minutes, 4.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 4/20 field goals, 1/11 3-pointers, 4/5 free throws, -31

Nurse is still a starter, but her minutes have been reduced. She’s only played a few shifts and hasn’t performed well in the minutes she’s been given. Her shooting has been poor, and unless Nurse makes shots and stretches the floor, there’s not much need for her to play a lot of minutes.

Rating: C

Rekea Jackson

20.4 minutes, 8.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks, 12-26 field goals, 1-7 three-pointers, 1-2 free throws, -20

Jackson’s standout performance came against the Aces, where she scored 16 points. That game and her other solid play throughout the week is becoming the standard we can expect from Jackson.

Jackson still needs to improve his rebounding and ability to get ahead of opponents, but overall it was a solid week for the Sparks rookie.

Rating: B

Lexie Brown

22.7 minutes, 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 9/25 field goals, 6/17 three-pointers, 7/8 free throws, +30

Brown has been relegated to the bench since returning from injury, but I still believe she is the Sparks’ best three-point shooter, making six of her three-pointers, albeit at a low 35% success rate.

I think Brown will eventually return to the starting lineup, but she will have to perform better to convince head coach Kurt Miller to use her in that position.

Rating: B-

Arli McDonald

20.6 minutes, 8.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 8/22 field goals, 4/10 3-pointers, 6/6 free throws, +23

McDonald is beginning to establish himself as a solid bench player, seeing action in two of the three games this week and performing well defensively against opposing guards.

I don’t expect McDonald to be consistently good, but the Sparks need a solid backup guard and McDonald would be ideal to fill that role every week.

Rating: B-

Lacia Clarendon

19.4 minutes, 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 7-16 field goals, 1-4 three-pointers, 6-7 free throws, -34

Clarendon has played respectably this week, and that’s the kind of play you can expect from them: few mental mistakes, good on the ball, and the occasional shot.

They are solid veteran players you can rely on.

Rating: B

Ray Burrell

13.2 minutes, 6.7 points, 2 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.3 steals, 6-16 field goals, 3-8 three-pointers, 5-5 free throws, -1

This was a good week for Burrell, coming off the bench against the Aces and scoring seven points in five minutes. It’s hard for Burrell to find playing time on this roster, but he made a case for more running this week.

Rating: B+

Li Yueru

14 minutes, 6.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.3 blocks, 7-13 field goals, 5-6 free throws, -12

The Chinese big man has shown slow but steady improvement as she adjusts to the WNBA, attempting nearly twice as many shots and being more aggressive with her free throws.

Miller has said he sees the possibility of using her as a starter at some point, and she showed signs of that this week.

Rating: B+

Stephanie Talbot

14.7 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.3 blocks, 2-11 field goals, 0-4 3-pointers, 2-2 free throws, +28

While his plus-minus looks good, I’m not a huge fan of Talbot’s minutes, I just feel like he doesn’t contribute enough on that side of the ball for the minutes he’s been given.

However, Mr. Miller disagrees with me as he has always spoken fondly of her and has consistently given her this time.

Rating: C-

Gia Cook

Cook didn’t have enough time to play this week to make a judgment call, and it’s unfortunate that the second-year player won’t get more time, but that’s where she is right now.

Kurt Miller

Miller made all the right choices this week, adjusting the starting lineup, bringing in Clarendon and benching Brown, managing the clock well to help the Tigers come back from a double-digit deficit early in the game against the Aces.

The Sparks are currently 4-7 and just half a game out of the final eighth place in the playoffs, but given their talent level and potential, this seems like a good spot for the team.

Rating: B+

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