WNBA's Dearica Hamby Sues The Las Vegas Aces For Discrimination After Telling The Team She Was Pregnant
A WNBA player is suing the league and the Las Vegas Aces for discrimination she says she received while pregnant.
Dearica Hamby, who now plays for the Los Angeles Sparks, initiated a federal lawsuit on Monday against the WNBA and her previous team, the Las Vegas Aces, for unlawful retaliation for unfair treatment after disclosing her pregnancy.
Hamby claims that the Aces subjected her to ongoing intimidation and discrimination which ultimately resulted in her being traded to the Sparks in January 2023. She further accuses the WNBA of not conducting an adequate investigation into the matter.
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The lawsuit reveals the 30-year-old is pursuing compensation for financial losses, as well as seeking punitive damages and coverage for attorney's fees.
The WNBA conducted an extensive investigation over several months, involving interviews with 33 individuals and an examination of numerous texts, emails, and other records. In May 2023, the league issued a penalty, suspending Aces coach Becky Hammon for two games, citing her breach of league and team policies regarding "respect in the workplace."
Additionally, the WNBA revoked the Aces' first-round draft pick for 2025 due to a separate infraction related to unauthorized player benefits associated with Hamby.
Hamby expressed dissatisfaction with how the WNBA handled the investigation and its disciplinary actions, criticizing the league for not interviewing other Aces players and for failing to impose sufficient penalties on the Aces or Coach Hammon.
Both Hammon, 47, and the Las Vegas Aces have firmly denied any discrimination against Hamby, asserting that the trade was solely driven by basketball-related factors.
Last September, Dearica Hamby filed a complaint with the EEOC, receiving her "Notice of Right to Sue" in May 2023. She claims the Las Vegas Aces revoked benefits after learning of her pregnancy.
Per the lawsuit, obtained by 'CNN,' Hamby discovered she was with-child in July 2022 – about three weeks after she signed a contract extension with the Aces.
"We made the decision to move Hamby because we could get three bodies in for her one contract ... It was never an issue, and it was never the reason she was traded," Hammon told reporters, per the outlet. "It just wasn't."
Hamby announced the birth of her second baby, Legend Maree Scandrick, with her husband Alonzo Nelson-Ododa on Instagram in March 2023.
