WNBA champion from GA says former team, league discriminated against her for being pregnant

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LAS VEGAS — A WNBA All-Star and Olympic medalist from metro Atlanta has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the league and her former team.

Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, who grew up in Marietta and Norcross, says she was treated unfairly and traded from the Las Vegas Aces to the Sparks because she was pregnant.

Hamby played for the Aces from 2015 to 2022, winning a championship with the Aces during what would become her final season with the franchise. But Hamby and her attorneys claim there were “repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination, and retaliation” from the Aces after Hamby announced her pregnancy during the championship parade.

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The lawsuit says Hamby signed a contract extension with the Aces in July 2022 and later learned around July 18 that she was expecting her second child. The lawsuit says Hamby informed her coaches about her pregnancy in August and completed the rest of the championship season.

Over the next several months, the lawsuit stated that Hamby “experienced notable changes in the way she was treated,” with certain family benefits in her contract extension not being honored.

In January 2023, Hamby’s attorneys say she had a phone call with Aces head coach Becky Hammon, who is accused of telling Hamby that she didn’t do enough to not get pregnant.

“Also during that phone call, Hammon questioned Hamby’s commitment and dedication to the team. Hammon told Plaintiff Hamby that she was a ‘question mark.’ Hammon further stated that the Las Vegas Aces ‘needed bodies,’ and that Hamby would not be ready to play in time for the start of the next season. In response, Hamby assured Hammon that she was committed to the team, would be giving birth during the off-season, and anticipated being fully ready to play by the start of the preseason in April 2023,” the lawsuit stated.

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The Aces traded Hamby to the Sparks that same week and her representatives requested the league investigate. The WNBA gave Hammon a two-game suspension without pay in May 2023 and took away a 2025 draft pick for violating league rules about impermissible player benefits.

Hamby’s lawsuit claims that wasn’t enough and that the league didn’t interview her Aces teammates. Her attorneys filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which ruled she had the right to sue the league and the Aces.

Hamby is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, but did not list any amount. The Aces have not released a statement regarding the lawsuit.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts on Tuesday that she was made aware of the lawsuit when she returned from the Paris Olympics.

Hamby won a bronze medal as part of the USA Women’s Basketball 3-x-3 team.

“Dearica is such a great player in this league and she just represented our country. Dearica is great. She has two children. She’s a great mom. I’ve spent a lot of time with her over the last couple of years. Obviously, we’ll review it,” the commissioner said.

Engelbert said the league has added more progressive benefits for players who are mothers and other fertility benefits as well in the last collective bargaining agreement.

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