Bombshell WNBA lawsuit shocks league

As the WNBA returns to the basketball court this week, drama is already afoot. But it’s happening in a different court. Los Angels Sparks forward Dearica Hamby is suing her former team, the Las Vegas Aces and the WNBA.

The suit , officially filed yesterday, details “ repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination, and retaliation that culminated in January 2023 with the Aces trading Hamby because the star forward was pregnant.”

Hamby’s list of allegations are full of cringeworthy acts, both by the Aces and head coach Becky Hammon, as well as the WNBA. Some of the accusations include: attempting to wrongfully obtain confidential medical records after Hamby was no longer on the Aces roster, refusing to extend an invitation to the White House ceremony to commemorate the Aces first WNBA Championship (which Hamby was an integral part of), issuing a directive to Aces players to cease communication with Hamby, the WNBA’s failure to interview key witnesses pertaining to the league’s investigation, and the refusal to extend Hamby a league marketing contract/opportunity after Hamby publicly complained about her alleged workplace discrimination.

Hamby previously filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against the Aces and the WNBA in September 2023. The WNBA conducted an investigation, eventually suspending Hammon for two games. The Aces were also made to forfeit their 2025 first-round draft pick. But Hamby clearly felt the investigation was insufficient and that the punishment did not fit the crime.

On May 23, 2024, Hamby received a “Notice of Right to Sue” from the EEOC. Three months later, she is doing just that.

“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,” Hamby’s attorneys, Dana Sniegocki, Erin Norgaard and Artur Davis, said in a statement. “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.”

Lawyer and former women’s basketball writer Gabriella Levine said, at first glance, “the fundamental starting point is Hamby is going to have to her day in court on serious allegations of pregnancy discrimination — a forum she deserves and one the league’s investigation did not fully afford her.”

Levine continued in an informative and enlightening thread on X, commenting how the WNBA’s initial investigation was lacking in transparency, and the evidence the league used to justify Hammon’s two-game suspension will now be made public through the discovery process. The Aces will also have to prove they did not act in a discriminatory manner after Hamby disclosed her pregnancy.

As Levine stated, Dearica Hamby has every right to pursue legal action. And while fans continue to litigate from the sidelines, it’s important to remember that we don’t yet have all the facts. As inside information continues to be revealed, statements are made and viewpoints are shared, it’s crucial for mainstream media and those new to women’s sports, particularly the WNBA, to maintain a semblance of respect in their commentating and reporting.

The fact that Aces are one of the best and most popular teams in the league, and Hammon is the highest paid and one of the most successful coaches just two years into her run, makes this a huge story — not only in women’s sports, but across the professional sports landscape.

That being said, this isn’t the time for hot takes or an opportunity to capitalize on engagement. A lot of the discourse and false narratives perpetuated on social media have been driven by men with large platforms. One can only hope, when it comes to the issue of women’s athletes rights and pregnancy, they’ll have a more measured and tempered response. Yes, I’m looking at you Stephen A. and Shannon Sharpe.

Going forward, there needs to be a much larger and open discussion about pregnancy in women’s sports and why leagues and franchises continue to stumble when it comes to supporting and accommodating athletes.

Skylar Diggins-Smith previously levied public complaints on X about the mistreatment she received from the Phoenix Mercury when she disclosed her pregnancy and during her period of recovery after giving birth. But there has yet to be an investigation, journalistic or otherwise, into those claims. No matter what industry, pregnancy should never been seen as a downside, burden, reason for dismissal, doubt and poor treatment from any employer.

Where Hamby’s case goes from here is anyone’s guess. Either way, it’s not a good look for Hammon, the Aces organization, or the WNBA — a league that has long claimed to be the most progressive,  supportive  and forward-thinking when it comes to women athletes.

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