WNBA: Dearica Hamby files federal suit against league, Las Vegas Aces

The WNBA is back, and so is big WNBA-related news. Catch up on the latest dramas and developments:

Hamby sues WNBA, Aces

On Monday, the Los Angeles Sparks’ Dearica Hamby filed a federal lawsuit in a Nevada court against the WNBA and Las Vegas Aces, alleging intimidation, discrimination and retaliation. The Aces traded a then-pregnant Hamby to the Sparks in Jan. 2023, the culmination of what she understands as the organization’s dissatisfaction with her pregnancy.

Hamby, with the support of the WNBPA, called for a league inquiry into her treatment, resulting in an investigation by the WNBA. After interviewing 33 people and reviewing documents, the WNBA suspended Aces head coach Becky Hammon for two games and voided the Aces’ 2025 first-round draft pick. The investigation, which did not include interviews with Aces players, and subsequent penalties were unsatisfactory to Hamby, who is seeking financial reparations with her lawsuit. She submitted an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (ECCO) complaint in Sept. 2023 and received “Notice of Right to Sue” in May 2024.

That Hamby has to engage in this legal action is a reminder that, while the 2020 CBA implemented unprecedented benefits for mothers, it did not guarantee that the league and teams equitably would interpret and honor those gains. With a new CBA negotiation on the horizon, Hamby’s experience, as well as that of Skylar Diggins-Smith (and possibly others’ unreported experiences), should motivate the WNBPA to continue to fight to protect working mothers. Terri Jackson, Executive Director of the WNBPA, said in response to Hamby’s legal action:

We reiterate our previous position that in the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement, player parents gained protections that ensured becoming a parent did not mean the end of a career. Obviously, these protections did not change the nature of this business. Any team can trade any player for any legitimate reason or no reason at all. But that reason can never be on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, parental status, or pregnancy status.

When asked about Hamby’s lawsuit, a WNBA spokesperson told ESPN, “We are aware of today’s legal filing and are reviewing the complaint.” The Aces reinforced the statement made at the completion of the WNBA’s investigation in May 2023 and offered no additional comment.

An update on the (other) Aces-related investigation

In other possibly-not-great news involving the leadership of the Las Vegas Aces, emails obtained by Howard Megdal and The IX Newsletter suggest the team was (very) aware of and (very) involved with the $100,000-per-player sponsorship deals presented by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), thus contradicting previous denials of any such coordination.

Megdal reviews emails from Matt Matzen, the Chief Marketing Officer of R&R Partners, the firm used by the LVCVA for marketing contracts, that indicate he had had discussions with Matt Delsen, the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Aces, about the sponsorship deals and public announcement. One email includes Matzen sharing that Delsen did not think R&R Partners, on behalf of the LVCVA, needed to clear the sponsorship with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

Even though the set of documents the LVCVA sent to Megdal and The IX through a public records request was incomplete, due to redacted portions and missing attachments, the documentation obtained provides sufficient information to fully unravel the original story about the sponsorship deals. As Megdal writes:

What is already a matter of public record, between [Steve] Hill’s [CEO of the LVCVA] public statements and these emails, is a campaign of coordination that four different WNBA team executives said looks like a violation of multiple sections of the collective bargaining agreement’s Circumvention section.

As of late July, according to Megdal, four Aces players—A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum—had yet to sign their deals with the LVCVA. If the WNBA and Commissioner Engelbert were to punish the organization for coordinating the sponsorship deals by levying penalties that impacted participating players, such as voiding the WNBA contracts of players who signed their deals, those four would be in the clear. Megdal, however, notes that, based on the league’s past adjudication of CBA violations, a punishment of such a degree is unlikely. Check out the rest of the reporting details here.

Meet the WNBPA Executive Committee

On Tuesday, the WNBPA revealed the results of its Executive Committee election. The Chicago Sky’s Elizabeth Williams will serve a fourth term as the union’s Secretary, while teammate Brianna Turner was elected Treasurer. The Vice Presidents are the Las Vegas Aces’ Alysha Clark, New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier. The Dallas Wings’ Satou Sabally will be the co-chair of the CBA Committee. The Seattle Storm’s Nneka Ogwumike remains President of the WNBPA, with the Aces’ Kelsey Plum still serving as the First Vice President.

The WNBA heads to Indy for All-Star 2025

For the first time, the Indiana Fever will host the WNBA’s All-Star festivities.

WNBA All-Star 2025 is headed to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, with the league’s 21st All-Star Game scheduled for Saturday, July 19. The 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge, in addition to WNBA Live, will take place on Friday, July 18.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said:

We are excited to bring AT&T WNBA All-Star to Indiana for the first time. The city of Indianapolis and the entire state of Indiana have such an incredible and enduring passion for the game of basketball, making the region the perfect host to celebrate the WNBA and the game’s greatest stars.