WNBA star Dearica Hamby, is taking her battles from the basketball arena to the legal arena.
On Monday, Hamby filed a federal lawsuit against the WNBA and her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, accusing them of discrimination and retaliation after she revealed her pregnancy.
Hamby, a two-time All-Star and a key player in the Aces’ 2022 championship win, alleges that her career took a sharp turn when she announced her pregnancy. Just a month after signing a multi-year contract extension with the Aces, which included promises of benefits like private school tuition for her daughter Amaya and family housing.
According to Hamby, she found herself facing unexpected hostility from the team’s management.
According to the lawsuit, when Hamby informed head coach Becky Hammon and Aces management about her pregnancy in July 2022, the support she had been promised quickly vanished. The suit details how Hamby was suddenly asked to vacate her team-provided housing and was informed that the agreed-upon tuition payments would no longer be honored.
Dearica Hamby also alleges that Hammon questioned her commitment to the team, calling her a “question mark” and suggesting she knew about her pregnancy before signing the extension—implying that Hamby had somehow betrayed the team.
In January 2023, after a tense phone conversation with Hammon, Hamby took to social media to express her frustration and disbelief. She shared her feelings of betrayal, writing, “Imagine expressing your fears as a woman and being pregnant in this profession/world…. Then to be reassured that you were supported.. and your back was “had”…. only to then be used against you. Lmao”
Shortly after this post, Hamby was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks, a move she believes was a direct result of her speaking out. Despite her claims, the WNBA’s response was, in Hamby’s view, insufficient.
While the Aces were penalized by losing a 2025 first-round draft pick, and Hammon was suspended for two games, Hamby contends that these punishments were not enough to address the discrimination and retaliation she faced.
After giving birth to her son, Legend, in March 2023, Hamby returned to the court with the Sparks, playing in all 40 games and earning her third All-Star selection. Her resilience was further showcased when she won a bronze medal in women’s 3×3 basketball at the Paris Olympics.
As more updates arise in Hamby’s lawsuit, it serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing challenges female athletes face, particularly when balancing their careers with motherhood.
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