A WNBA player is taking a bold step to protect the rights of pregnant players by filing a lawsuit against the league she’s currently playing for.
On Monday, Aug. 12, Los Angeles Sparks star Dearica Hamby filed a lawsuit against the Women’s National Basketball Association and the Las Vegas Aces, accusing them of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Yahoo Sports reports. According to Hamby, she experienced discrimination and retaliation over her pregnancy, which was revealed shortly after signing a two-year contract in June 2022.
The contract included “an agreement by the Las Vegas Aces to cover private tuition costs” for Hamby’s daughter,
Amaya. It offered team-provided housing, which Hamby used for her family to assist with childcare duties while she was away traveling for games. However, weeks after signing the contract, Hamby learned she was pregnant with her second child.The suit alleges that Hamby “experienced notable changes in the way she was treated by Las Vegas Aces staff” after she made her pregnancy public by informing Aces coach Becky Hammon and General Manager Natalie Williams. The change in treatment included withholding the promised tuition relief for her daughter’s school and her alleged forced removal from the team-provided housing.
Hammon is also accused of questioning “Hamby’s dedication and commitment to the team” during a January 2023 phone call, the same month Hamby was traded to the L.A. Sparks. The suit alleges Hammon “did not deny the accusation that Hamby was being traded because she was pregnant.”
After being traded, Hamby requested an investigation into the Aces in January 2023 through the WNBA Player’s Association. The league opened an investigation the following month and completed it in May. Following the inquiry, the WNBA found that the Aces violated league rules for impermissible player benefits, docked the team its 2025 first-round draft pick selection, and suspended Hammon two games without pay for “violating league and team Respect in the Workplace policies.”
“The WNBA is, at its core, a workplace, and federal laws have long shielded pregnant women from discrimination on the job,” Hamby’s legal team said in a statement.
“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.”
Hamby filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, claiming to have
suffered “a loss of reputational prestige and brand value” and “loss of marketing and/or endorsement opportunities” after her removal from the Aces. She is seeking damages through a jury trial.Hamby continues to shine as a star player on the L.A. Sparks, averaging career-highs in points (19.2), rebounds (10), and assists per game (3.5) and winning the bronze medal as part of Team USA’s 3×3 women’s basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.