Los Angeles Sparks All-Star Dearica Hamby has filed a lawsuit against the WNBA and her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, over alleged discrimination and retaliation that occurred while she was pregnant during the 2023 season.
The lawsuit alleges that the Aces discriminated and retaliated against Hamby after she informed the organization about her pregnancy leading into the 2023 WNBA season, per the Associated Press.
Hamby further claims that this discrimination resulted in her being traded to Los Angeles after she helped lead the Aces to a championship in the 2022 WNBA season.
After helping Las Vegas win the championship, Hamby re-signed with the Aces on an extension that allegedly included “certain benefits and inducements outside of the contract,” such as tuition funding for her daughter and housing for the rest of her family, according to CBS News.
Shortly after signing her extension with the team, Hamby discovered she was pregnant and informed the organization before announcing the news during the Aces’ championship parade.
Hamby claims that the organization began treating her differently following the news of her pregnancy, including informing her that the team would no longer be providing the tuition or housing, per CBS.
Hamby and a first-round pick were then traded to the Sparks just months later in exchange for Amanda Zahui B. and a future second-round pick, which also opened up cap space that allowed the Aces to sign other players.
Aces Head Coach Becky Hammon denied the allegation that Hamby’s trade was related to her pregnancy, explaining that the move was made to acquire additional personnel.
“We made the decision to move Hamby because we could get three bodies in her one contract, and we wanted to get three more people in,” she said, per AP. “I think it’s very evident (with) who we signed on why we made the move.”
Hamby later filed a complaint with the WNBA regarding the trade and the alleged misconduct that occurred due to her pregnancy, resulting in the league opening an investigation into the matter.
Following the investigation, the WNBA determined that the Aces violated rules relating to “impermissible player benefits” and chose to rescind the organization’s first-round pick in 2025 and suspend Hammon for two games.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, claims that Hamby lost “reputational prestige and brand value” and “marketing and/or endorsement opportunities” because of the trade to send her away from the defending champions, per USA Today.
Hamby’s attorney wrote in the lawsuit that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) determined that she had a “right to sue” over what occurred within the organization.
“The WNBA is, at its core, a workplace, and federal laws have long shielded pregnant women from discrimination on the job,” they added in a statement, as reported by AP.
“The world champion Aces exiled Dearica Hamby for becoming pregnant and the WNBA responded with a light tap on the wrist. 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.”
The WNBA has yet to release an official statement regarding Hamby’s lawsuit, as a spokesperson said league officials are “aware of today’s legal filing and are reviewing the complaint,” according to AP.