All-Star Dearica Hamby Sues WNBA, Aces, Alleging Discrimination, Retaliation for Being Pregnant

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Los Angeles Sparks star Dearica Hamby sued the WNBA and her former team in federal court Monday over the treatment the Las Vegas Aces gave her while she was pregnant.

Hamby’s lawsuit alleged discrimination and retaliation against the Aces, which led to her transfer to the Sparks in January 2023.

“We are aware of today’s court filing and are reviewing the complaint,” a WNBA spokesman said.

The Aces didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment, however the club and coach Becky Hammon have previously denied the allegations. Hammon said in May 2023 that Hamby was traded for strategic reasons, namely to place the club ready to sign likely future Hall of Famer Candace Parker.

“We made the decision to move Hamby because we could get three people on her contract and we wanted to get three more people,” Hammon said on the time. “I think it’s very obvious who we signed, why we made that decision.”

Hamby, a bronze medalist in women’s 3X3 basketball on the recently concluded Olympic Games, has made public guarantees against the Aces twice before.

The WNBA investigated the matter and suspended Hammon for two games without pay in May 2023. The club also stripped its 2025 first-round draft pick for providing improper advantages to players involving Hamba.

Featured Stories

But Hamby insisted the league didn’t go far enough. She filed a grievance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in September, alleging discrimination, and amended her application in October.

According to the lawsuit, the EEOC ruled in May that she had “standing to sue.”

“The WNBA is, at its core, a workplace, and federal law has long protected pregnant women from employment discrimination,” Hamby’s attorneys said in an announcement. “The World Champion Aces fired Dearica Hamby for getting pregnant, and the WNBA responded with a little slap on the wrist. Every potential mother in the league now knows that giving birth can change her career prospects overnight. That can’t be true in one of the most successful and dynamic women’s sports leagues in America.”

Hamby played for the organization from 2015-22, starting when the Aces were based in San Antonio because the Stars. She was named the league’s Sixth Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020 and has been named to the All-Star team three of the last 4 seasons.

Hamby is averaging a career-high 19.2 points and 10.0 rebounds this season.

Hamby’s lawsuit is the newest off-the-court issue for the Aces.

The players are also being investigated by the WNBA over a two-year sponsorship deal proposed by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority that might pay each player $25,000 a month and as much as $100,000 per season.