Open Thread: Dearica Hamby discrimination lawsuit accuses Becky Hammon
In September 2022 during their championship parade, Las Vegas Aces forward Dearica Hamby announced she and her husband were expecting their second child.
In January of 2023, Aces head coach Becky Hammon accused Hamby of “not taking proper precautions not to get pregnant.”
In May of that same year, Dearica Hamby was traded by the Aces to the Los Angeles Sparks. According to the former Spurs assistant, it was to make room to sign Candance Parker.
“We made the decision to move Hamby because we could get three bodies in her one contract, and we wanted to get three more people in. I think it’s very evident (with) who we signed on why we made the move.”
But since the trade, the Aces have been under scrutiny for the handling of the situation.
Hamby filed a federal discrimination complaint against the WNBA and the Las Vegas Aces, claiming the Aces traded her because she was pregnant and that the league did not adequately investigate.
One issue stems from Becky Hammon not denying the trade had something to do with Hamby’s pregnancy.
In May of 2023, the WNBA suspended Hammon for two games without pay and docked the Aces their first-round 2025 draft pick for “bullying and manipulating” Hamby due to her pregnancy. It was the first time the league had ever taken a draft pick from a team.
Hamby did not believe the league was harsh enough on the Aces, prompting her most recent filing.
Hamby’s attorney’s stated:
“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. 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.”
The Aces have stood behind Hammon stating:
“The WNBA’s determinations about Becky Hammon are inconsistent with what we know and love about her. Becky is a caring human being who forges close personal relationships with her players. We stand behind Coach Hammon as she continues to lead the Las Vegas Aces.”
No word on court dates or negotiations, but this story will continue to generate attention on the WNBA as it progresses.
