Three-time WNBA All-Star, WNBA champion, and Olympic medalist Dearica Hamby has filed a lawsuit against the WNBA and her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, alleging that she was discriminated against after disclosing her pregnancy.
Hamby said in her lawsuit that she “saw a noticeable change in how she was treated by Las Vegas Aces staff” after she announced she was pregnant with her second child.
of Litigation When Hamby re-signed with the Aces, the team claimed he agreed to terms that included covering Hamby’s daughter’s private school tuition as a “donation.”
The team also reportedly agreed to allow Hamby to use team-provided lodgings.
“All future mothers in the league are reminded that having a baby can completely change their career prospects.”
Hamby’s lawsuit alleges that the team, general manager and president spoke vaguely about the donation and told Hamby they were “working on it.”
Hamby also alleged that she was asked to leave her team-provided housing without explanation.
The basketball star also claimed that Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon accused her in a phone call of “not taking proper precautions to not get pregnant.”
The coach also allegedly questioned the player’s “commitment and passion for the team” and called her a “question mark” on the team.
Other allegations include that Hamby knew she was pregnant at the time she signed her new contract and that staff believed she would become pregnant for a third time.
The WNBA itself responded to the lawsuit by saying only that they were “aware of today’s lawsuit and are reviewing it.”
Teri Carmichael Jackson, executive director of the WNBA Players Association, also responded to the lawsuit, assuring the public that “becoming a parent” does not mean the end of a WNBA player’s career.
“Obviously, these protections don’t change the nature of this business. Any team can trade any player for a legitimate reason, or for no reason at all. But that reason cannot be based on race, gender, sexual orientation, parental status or pregnancy status.”
About six months after signing his contract extension, Hamby was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks.
Coach Hammon said a few months after the trade that the decision to move Hamby was “to get three players in order to get three more players in the deal we got with her.”
“I think that’s very clear [by] “Who we signed with and why we moved,” she added. Associated Press.
The comments come as questions emerge about why Hamby was traded and whether it was because of her pregnancy. In fact, the WNBA suspended Hammon for two games in May 2023 after Hamby alleged she was bullied and manipulated because of her pregnancy, according to the Associated Press.
The WNBA did not disclose details about the suspension but said Hammon violated league and team policies regarding “respect in the workplace.”
However, Hamby’s lawyers argued that the Aces “banned” Hamby because she was “pregnant,” and that the WNBA “responded with a light punishment.”
“Every prospective mother in the league recognizes that giving birth could change her career prospects overnight. That should not happen in one of the most thriving and vibrant women’s professional sports leagues in America,” the lawyers added.
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