Dearica Hamby Sues WNBA and Aces Alleging Pregnancy Discrimination

Dearica Hamby is suing the WNBA and the Las Vegas Aces over claims that they discriminated and retaliated against her because she was pregnant. Shortly after announcing her pregnancy in September of 2022, Hamby was traded by the Aces to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Hamby has accused the WNBA, Aces, and her head coach, Becky Hammon, of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by discriminating against her based on her sex. She also claims she is entitled to compensation due to the economic losses she has suffered, as well as emotional damages. The lawsuit argues that moving to a less prestigious team has harmed Hamby’s career. While the Sparks did not make the playoffs in the 2023 season, the Aces won their second WBNA championship after trading Hamby.

In the lawsuit Hamby also claims that the Aces retaliated against her for publicly sharing the details of her trade in relation to her pregnancy. She has publicly described the trade as “traumatic” and alleged that she has been “lied to, bullied, manipulated, and discriminated against” by her former team.

Hamby was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in January 2023 and recently replaced Sparks teammate Cameron Brink in the Paris Olympics Team USA 3×3 basketball team after Brinks suffered a torn ACL.

According to the lawsuit, Hamby discovered her pregnancy three weeks after signing a two-year contract with the Aces on June 28, 2022. The lawsuit also alleges that the Aces offered certain benefits to Hamby to encourage her to sign with the team. These benefits included covering private school tuition for Hamby’s daughter, Amaya, and providing team housing to help with childcare. However, the WNBA later determined that these benefits were not allowed under league rules during its investigation of the matter.

Hamby claims that after the announcement of her pregnancy with her second child, she was instructed to move out of the team housing and that the Aces began dodging tuition payments.

Last fall, Hamby lodged a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) and received the right to sue in May. In the complaint, Hamby claims that the Aces and Hammon traded her to the Sparks because of her pregnancy. Hamby has also criticized the WNBA for giving the Aces only a minimal punishment after effectively exiling her.

According to Yahoo Sports, during a January 2023 phone call, Hammon accused Hamby of knowing she was pregnant when she signed the two-year contract and questioned her commitment to the team.

After Hamby came forward with the allegations, the WNBA conducted two investigations. As a result, Hammon was suspended for two games without pay and the Aces were required to forfeit a future draft pick for 2025.

According to the lawsuit, however, the WNBA failed to interview players who could have confirmed crucial details, resulting in a faulty investigation, and did not impose sufficient penalties on either the Aces or Hammon.

On March 6, 2023, Hamby gave birth to her son, Legend. One month later, in April 2023, she participated in Sparks training camp and played in all 40 of the team’s regular season games.