Dearica Hamby Sues Las Vegas Aces, WNBA

The Sparks forward alleges serious discrimination against her former team.

Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby has filed a lawsuit against her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, and the WNBA. The suit alleges practices of “repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination and retaliation” in response to Hamby becoming pregnant. The suit alleges the practices happened before and after her trade was made.

Dearica Hamby filed a lawsuit today against the WNBA and the Las Vegas Aces in federal court in Las Vegas, alleging discrimination and unlawful retaliation against her. She had filed a complaint with the EEOC in Sept. 2023. pic.twitter.com/h81c4usFjB

— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) August 12, 2024

Dearica Hamby, a 3x All-Star and 2x 6-POY, has not been shy about her feelings towards her former team. This lawsuit is the next chapter in a story that has been evolving for years. When she was traded before the 2023 season, she took to social media to share her feelings. Posting on Instagram at the time, Hamby stated she believes she had her “character and work ethic attacked”. She also claimed the Aces “lied, bullied, manipulated, and discriminated” against her. The league agreed, suspending Aces coach Becky Hammon for two games and stripping Vegas of their 2025 first round draft pick after an investigation. Hamby and her lawyers don’t think this is enough.

Dearica Hamby took to Instagram to address her trade to the Los Angeles Sparks, calling the treatment she received from the Aces "unprofessional."

More: https://t.co/PXlV7tCWs0 pic.twitter.com/Wm4lYEDCn0

— espnW (@espnW) January 22, 2023

Hamby’s team released a statement in which they call the WNBA’s response to her treatment a “tap on the wrist”. It further accuses coach Hammond and the team of deliberately retaliating against Hamby due to her pregnancy that began in July 2022. According to Hamby, she was forced to leave team-provided housing after she disclosed her pregnancy with the organization. Hamby further alleges that coach Hammond never denied trading her because of her pregnancy, even when confronted with the accusation over the phone.

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The WNBA has not released a statement on the suit as of yet, but has acknowledged that they are “aware” of its filing and are processing the complaint.

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