As the WNBA prepares for a comeback, Olympic 3×3 bronze medalist and LA Sparks forward Dearica Hamby has heightened her legal disputes with both the Las Vegas Aces and the league at large.
In a lawsuit filed on Monday, August 12th, Hamby claims her former Las Vegas team subjected her to “repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination, and retaliation” in regards to a pregnancy she disclosed prior to her January 2023 trade to Los Angeles.
Hamby also alleges the WNBA failed to properly investigate and punish the organization. The league did suspend head coach Becky Hammon for two games and rescinded the team’s 2025 first round draft pick.
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From contract extension to LA Sparks trade
Hamby won a WNBA Championship with the Aces in 2022, about two months after signing a deal to extend her contract for two additional years. The suit states that she found out she was pregnant in mid-July of 2022 — after finalizing her extension deal — and informed the team in early August.
Following her pregnancy disclosure, Hamby alleges that she suffered retaliation including rescinded access to player housing and the refusal to pay her daughter’s school tuition. She also contends that Hammon questioned her dedication to the team, asking her if she’d planned the pregnancy prior to her trade.
After giving birth to her son in April 2023, Hamby played all 40 games of the 2023 WNBA season with the Sparks.
Hamby seeks legal damages as Aces double down
Hamby is now seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, including coverage for economic losses and attorney’s fees.
“The unprofessional and unethical way that I have been treated has been traumatizing,” she said in a January 2023 social media post.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Aces affirmed “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.”
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