Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby filed a federal lawsuit against the Las Vegas Aces on Monday alleging intimidation, discrimination and harrassment over her pregnancy. Hamby previously filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Sept. 2023. 

“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 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.”

In January 2023, Hamby was traded from the Aces to the Sparks. Shortly thereafter, she released an emotional statement on Instagram accusing the Aces of “traumatizing” her. 

The WNBA later conducted its own investigation into the situation and suspended Aces coach Becky Hammon for the first two games of the 2023 season for violating the league’s respect in the workplace policies. Furthermore, the Aces had their first-round pick in…

Hi there! The summer of soccer officially came to a wrap over the weekend with the U.S. women’s national team’s gold medal win on Saturday, while the European season is officially underway after the EFL opened up. I’m Pardeep Cattry with the latest to kick off the week.

Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Monday, Aug. 12
EFL Championship: Luton Town vs. Burnley, 3 p.m. Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
Leagues Cup: Seattle Sounders vs. Pumas, 10:30 p.m. Apple TV+

Tuesday, Aug. 13
EFL Cup: Sheffield United vs. Wrexham, 3 p.m. Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
Leagues Cup: Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. Apple TV+

The Forward Line

USWNT go back to winning ways

The U.S. women’s national team won their first Olympic gold medal in 12 years on Saturday, beating Brazil 1-0 in Paris and turning the page on last year’s disappointment at the Women’s World Cup in the process.

Things were not straightforward for the USWNT on…

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Good morning to everyone, but especially to …

TEAM USA

After more than two weeks and hundreds of events, the top of the 2024 Paris Olympics medal count came down to a matter of inches … and a whole world of heartbreak for the hosts. France women’s basketball pushed Team USA to the limit, ultimately falling one…

The United States women’s national basketball team survived a major scare from France in the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday, winning a one-point thriller to earn its eighth consecutive gold medal. The Americans did so thanks in large part to A’ja Wilson, who finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. 

For her effort in the gold medal game, and throughout the tournament, Wilson was named MVP of the Olympics by FIBA, who released their awards shortly after the medal ceremony. Over six games in Lille and Paris, Wilson averaged 18.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks on 59.2% shooting from the field. Among all players she was third in scoring, second in rebounding and fourth in blocks, while also recording the most double-doubles (four).  

This is the first Olympic MVP award for Wilson, who was also named to the All-Star Five alongside her American teammate, Breanna Stewart. Though Stewart was not at her best in the gold medal game, she was the second-best player for Team USA to that point and averaged 16.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 blocks. 

Here’s a look at the full All-Star Five, along with the other award winners from the Olympics:

All-Star Five

Emma…

Think about the memorable moments of these Olympics.

Sure, you have your Simone Biles vaults and your Katie Ledecky victory laps. And, yes, two thrilling men’s and women’s gold medal basketball games between the United States and France. But, aside from those, most of the iconic snapshots of the Paris Games came from the U.S. track & field delegation.

From Noah Lyles’ photo-finish coronation as the world’s fastest man to Quincy Hall and Cole Hocker coming from nowhere to win the 400 meters and the metric mile, respectively, the Paris Games have been an American masterclass of speed, skill, strength and mettle.

Certainly, when measured against international competition in the rear-view mirror on the 2024 leaderboard. And perhaps going a lot further, too.

It’s hardly hyperbolic to suggest this year’s U.S. delegation compares favorably to any that’s ever competed in home Games or traveled overseas wearing red, white and blue. Throw in Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s world-record gold in the women’s 400 hurdles, Tara Davis-Woodhall’s win in the long jump and the virtuoso performances of the women’s 4×100- and 4×400-meter relay teams, and it becomes far more difficult to suggest this year’s team has a peer.

…

The 2024 Paris Olympics wrap up on Sunday and one of the final day’s most anticipated matchups is Team USA vs. France in the gold-medal game for women’s basketball. Team USA hasn’t lost an Olympic game since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the Americans are looking for their 10th gold in women’s basketball. 

Tipoff is at 9:30 a.m. ET in Paris, France. The United States is a 16-point favorite in the latest USA vs. France odds, while the over/under for total points is 157. Before making any France vs. Team USA picks or 2024 Paris Olympics women’s basketball predictions, you need to see what SportsLine’s Calvin Wetzel has to say.

Wetzel, HerHoopStats.com’s lead betting writer, incorporates his mathematical background and strong knowledge of women’s hoops to turn the site’s prediction model into picks. After teaming up with Aaron Barzilai, a Ph.D. from Stanford, Wetzel is an incredible 1,385-988 (+372.33 units) on women’s college basketball picks since the start of the 2021-22 season. He’s also coming off a great 2023 season with a 238-185-1 overall record that featured a return on investment of nearly 7%. Anyone following him has seen huge returns.

Now, Wetzel has broken down Team USA vs. France from every…

When the U.S. women’s national team suffered a historic exit during the round of 16 at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, it set off a rapid-fire reaction of dire straits with the 2024 Paris Olympics just months away. While casuals held expectations and worry, the USWNT players carried their own hopes and dreams and knew that only they could define themselves when it mattered most. 

Multiple things can be true — the women’s game has grown, competition levels have dramatically increased, and the United States just needed some time and a coaching change to get back to championship glory. The USWNT defeated Brazil, 1-0, on Saturday in the gold medal match and returned to the top of the podium for the first time since the 2012 London Games. Armed with a new coach, tactics, and a reinvigorated belief — they are talented, and as always, capable, and now once again champions.

Pundits questioned the competitive “mentality” of the program in the months leading up to new head coach Emma Hayes’ arrival. She pushed back gently in June, reminding the players and media that there are layers to competition, and “if we can perform at our best level, then we have a chance of doing things, but we got work to do.”

They did…

The U.S. women’s national team’s reputation of historic success precedes them but before they landed in France last month, there was a surprising thing missing from the 2024 Olympics squad — not a single member of the team had won a gold medal, a glaring omission from their résumés as the disappointment of last year’s early exit from the Women’s World Cup loomed over them. It did not help that their new head coach Emma Hayes would have just four games to work with her squad before traveling to the Olympics, forcing many to temper their expectations.

That baggage was hardly a deterrent. After six games in 17 days across France, the USWNT became Olympic gold medalists for the first time in 12 years, beating Brazil 1-0 at Paris’ Parc des Princes on Saturday and completing the redemption arc in record time. It was the result of several big bets paying off since the disappointment in Melbourne, answering a series of unknowns that lingered over the USWNT during the last year.

Within a matter of weeks, U.S. Soccer’s choice to hire Hayes proved to be a smart one despite the downsides of the short window of time between her first game in early June and their Olympics opener in late July. The gold medal also…