Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby filed a federal lawsuit against the WNBA and her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, on Monday regarding her treatment from the Aces after revealing she was pregnant.
Hamby alleges that she was subject to repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination and retaliation from the Aces, leading to her January 2023 trade to the Sparks. Hamby also alleges the WNBA failed to “properly investigate” the issue.
Hamby is seeking economic losses, compensatory and punitive damages and attorney’s fees, according to the lawsuit.
The WNBA did a months-long investigation that included interviews with 33 people and a review of numerous texts, emails and other documents before handing down a punishment in May 2023. The league gave Aces coach Becky Hammon a two-game suspension for what it deemed “a violation of league and team ‘respect in the workplace’ policies.”
The league at that time also rescinded the Aces’ first-round draft pick in 2025 for a different violation, this one regarding impermissible player benefits…
