Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon strongly defended herself and the organization Wednesday following the WNBA’s announcement that she had been suspended two games without pay and that a 2025 first-round draft pick had been taken from the franchise over the treatment of forward Dearica Hamby.
Hamby had alleged that she was traded in January to the Los Angeles Sparks because she was pregnant and that the Aces acted unethically toward her. Hammon countered that the trade was “a business decision” based on the Aces’ needs.
The penalties, announced Tuesday, followed an investigation by the WNBA.
“I don’t recall my relationship with Hamby being anything but on the up-and-up, and I’m just — obviously along with the organization — disappointed with the findings,” Hammon said in a video call, which was scheduled before the penalties were announced. “It’s never [good] to have your name be associated with something like that, which is not who you are as a person. That’s not how I operate. I did talk to my team; they were great. I have to say…
