Los Angeles Sparks All-Star Dearica Hamby filed a lawsuit on Monday against the WNBA and her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, claiming unfair treatment while she was pregnant.
Hamby’s lawsuit alleges that the Aces discriminated and retaliated against her, which led to her trade to the Sparks in January 2023.
“We are aware of today’s legal filing and are reviewing the complaint,” a WNBA spokesperson said.
The Aces did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but they and coach Becky Hammon had previously denied the allegations. Hammon said in May 2023 that Hamby’s trade was a strategic decision to allow the team to sign potential Hall of Famer Candace Parker.
“We decided to trade Hamby to bring in three players for the cost of one contract,” Hammon said at that time. “It’s clear why we made the move based on who we signed.”
Hamby, who recently won a bronze medal in 3X3 women’s basketball at the Olympics, had previously made public claims against the Aces.
The WNBA investigated and in May 2023 suspended Hammon for two games without pay. The Aces were also stripped of their first-round 2025 draft pick for providing unauthorized player benefits related to Hamby.
However, Hamby felt the league’s actions were insufficient. She filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in September, which she updated in October.
According to the lawsuit, the EEOC gave Hamby the “right to sue” in May.
“The WNBA is a workplace, and federal laws have long protected pregnant women from discrimination at work,” Hamby’s attorneys said in a statement. “The world champion Aces treated Dearica Hamby poorly for becoming pregnant, and the WNBA’s response was too mild. This sets a concerning precedent for all potential mothers in the league, affecting their career prospects significantly.”
