The WNBA and the Aces have requested that a federal lawsuit filed by former Las Vegas player Dearica Hamby be dismissed. Hamby’s lawsuit, which she filed about a month ago, claims that she was mistreated because of her pregnancy, leading to her trade to the Los Angeles Sparks in January 2023.
The league argues that Hamby cannot sue the WNBA since it does not employ her. The motions to dismiss were filed on Wednesday.
The WNBA also disagreed with Hamby’s claim that the league did not investigate her allegations properly. In May 2023, the league suspended Aces coach Becky Hammon for two games without pay and took away the Aces’ first-round draft pick for 2025 due to improper benefits given to Hamby.
The WNBA also rejected the idea that it failed to renew Hamby’s marketing agreement as retaliation. The league pointed out that there was a nine-month gap between her complaint and the end of the contract, suggesting no direct link.
The Aces, who are the two-time defending champions, argued that Hamby did not provide proof of retaliation or discrimination.
The Aces said in their motion, “Hamby’s Complaint alleges the Aces traded the rights to her contract because she was pregnant and retaliated against her after she made a social media post about the alleged pregnancy discrimination.”
They added that “Hamby’s false allegations against the Aces fall short of stating a plausible claim for relief.”
Hamby, who won a bronze medal in 3X3 women’s basketball at this year’s Olympic Games, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in September and updated it in October.
According to her lawsuit, the commission decided in May that she had a “right to sue.”
