Dearica Hamby sues Las Vegas Aces, WNBA for alleged discrimination 

In January 2023, following her trade from the Aces to the Sparks, the three-time WNBA All Star accused the Aces of bullying, manipulation and discrimination after becoming pregnant with her second child. Hamby detailed the situation in an Instagram post following the announcement of her trade.

“I was promised things to entice me to sign my contract extension that were not followed through on,” she said. “I was accused of signing my extension knowingly pregnant. This is false. I was told that I was ‘a question mark’ and that it was said that I said I would ‘get pregnant again’ and there was a concern for my level of commitment to the team.”

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“I was told that ‘I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain’ (Because ‘no one expected me to get pregnant in the next two years’). Did the team expect me to promise not to get pregnant in exchange for the contract extension? I was asked if I planned my pregnancy. When I responded, ‘no,’ I was then told that I ‘was not taking precautions not to get pregnant.’ I was being traded because ‘I wouldn’t be ready, and we need bodies.’”

In September 2023, Hamby filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against the Las Vegas Aces and the WNBA. Subsequently, the league launched an investigation and suspended Hammon for two games for questioning Hamby’s commitment to the team while she was pregnant. The Aces were also made to forfeit their 2025 first-round draft pick. On May 23, 2024, Hamby received a “Notice of Right to Sue” from the EEOC. She filed her lawsuit on Monday.

The new lawsuit alleges that Hamby’s benefits and two-year contract extension, which she signed in July 2022, were rescinded as a result of the announcement of her pregnancy. The Aces allegedly offered her benefits outside of the contract in hopes to get the veteran to sign the extension, including covering the cost of private school tuition for Hamby’s daughter, Amaya, as a “donation” to the school and housing accommodations.

In a statement to The Next, a WNBA spokesperson indicated, “We are aware of today’s legal filing and are reviewing the complaint.”

On Aug. 13, the Las Vegas Aces issued the following statement to The Next: “As an organization, we continue to stand behind our statement on May 16, 2023, made at the conclusion of the WNBA’s investigation into this matter. Given that this is an ongoing litigation, the Aces will have no further comment at this time.”

The lawsuit also details the events leading up to the start of the alleged discrimination

• June 28, 2022: Hamby signed a two-year extension with the Aces.
• July 18, 2022: Hamby found out she was pregnant.
• Aug. 8, 2022: Hamby’s pregnancy was confirmed by her doctor and she then notified Aces general manager Natalie Williams.
• Sept. 20, 2022: Hamby made her pregnancy public during the Ace’s championship celebration.

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The lawsuit claims once the news of her pregnancy was made public, the Aces treatment towards her noticeably changed. The lawsuit alleges Hamby and her family were asked to vacate team housing without reason, and the Aces never made the “donation” for Amaya’s tuition. The now-mother of two also alleges the Aces attempted to obtain her private medical records.

The suit also details complaints of being accused of signing her contract extension while knowing she was pregnant, not being consistent with her workouts, and questioning of her “commitment and dedication to the team.” Two phone calls between the player and coach were mentioned as well, including an exchange between Hamby and head coach Becky Hammon where Hamby asked twice if they were “trading me because I’m pregnant?” Per the suit, Hammon didn’t deny it, instead responding “What do you want me to do?”

“The WNBA is, at its core, a workplace, and federal laws have long shielded pregnant women from discrimination on the job. The world champion Aces exiled Dearica Hamby for becoming pregnant and the WNBA responded with a light tap on the wrist,” Hamby’s attorneys, Dana Sniegocki, Erin Norgaard and Artur Davis, said in a statement. “Every potential mother in the league is now on notice that childbirth could change their career prospects overnight. That can’t be right in one of the most prosperous and dynamic women’s professional sports leagues in America.”

Editor’s note (Aug. 13, 9:30 p.m. ET): This story was updated to include a statement provided by the Las Vegas Aces.