Everything We Know about Dearica Hamby’s WNBA and Aces Lawsuit

For male athletes, becoming a father is a life-changing event , though it rarely impacts their professional careers as drastically as their female counterparts. The responsibility of carrying children means stars like Serena Williams, Candace Parker and DeWanna Bonner have all taken time off the court to focus on pregnancy . In some cases, the coaches and teammates of these women are supportive and encouraging when they share the exciting news. Unfortunately, some feel alienated and ostracized for starting a family, such as WNBA player Dearica Hamby.

The 30-year-old made headlines after launching a lawsuit against her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, and the WNBA earlier this week. Hamby began playing for the pro basketball organization in 2015, but after finding out about her second pregnancy in the spring of 2022, she claims things on the Aces took a turn for the worse, resulting in her being traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2023. Read on to uncover everything we know about Dearica Hamby’s WNBA lawsuit.

2022: Dearica Hamby Extends Her Contract With the Las Vegas Aces

After years of being a star player on the Aces, the Georgia native signed a two-year contract extension in mid-2022. Less than a month later, Hamby learned she was expecting her second child, but upon sharing the news, she “experienced notable changes in the way she was treated by Las Vegas Aces Staff,” according to recently filed legal documents .

2023: WNBA Team Accused of Discrimination and Manipulation

In the same court papers, Dearica Hamby recalled an alleged phone call between her and Coach Becky Hammon in January 2023. “By signing the contract extension, [you] implicity agreed [you] would not get pregnant during the two-year extension period,” the latter reportedly told the former. “You’re trading me because I’m pregnant?” Hamby asked. “What do you want me to do?” her superior allegedly rebutted.

Around this same time, the mother of two took to Instagram to vent her frustrations. “Being traded is a part of the business. Being lied to, bullied, manipulated and discriminated against is not. I have had my character and work ethic attacked,” Hamby wrote. Upon closer investigation, the WNBA determined something was amiss, resulting in the Aces’ 2025 first-round draft pick being rescinded for “violating league rules regarding impermissible player benefits.”

Hammon was also suspended for two games without pay, though the Aces’ coach maintains that Erica Hamby’s growing baby bump wasn’t the reason for her departure from the team. “[Her pregnancy] wasn’t a problem, and it never was why we [decided] to move [her],” Hammon said in May 2023.

“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. It just wasn’t.” According to the coach, the decision was “math and business…nothing personal.” She noted the “great relationship” she and Hamby had during their time working together, suggesting this is why the athlete felt so betrayed amid her move to the Sparks.

2024: Hamby Files Lawsuit Against the League and Her Former Team

While she’s been crushing it back on the court in the U.S. and overseas at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Dearica Hamby still isn’t totally satisfied with the outcome of her trade. On Monday, Aug. 12th, she submitted a lawsuit against the WNBA and the Aces alleging she faced discrimination and “unlawful retaliation” during her pregnancy. “[She was] subject to repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination and retaliation from the Aces,” attorneys claim.

According to CNN , Hamby is seeking “unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.” She accuses the league of “[taking] no steps to correct or address a clear-cut violation [of her] rights under federal state anti-discrimination law.” Hammon and her team have yet to officially comment, but a WNBA spokesperson said, “[we] are aware of today’s legal filing and are reviewing the complaint.”

The post Everything We Know about Dearica Hamby’s WNBA and Aces Lawsuit appeared first on 21Ninety .