WNBA star Dearica Hamby is suing the league and her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, accusing them of discrimination and retaliation related to her pregnancy.
The current Los Angeles Sparkes player’s law firm filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Hamby was subjected to “repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination, and retaliation that culminated in January 2023 with the Aces trading Hamby (to the Los Angeles Sparks) because the star forward was pregnant,” the firm stated in a recent press release via their PR firm.
In January of 2023, the mother-of-two posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “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”
The federal suit states that when the athlete told her coach, Becky Hammon and the Aces management about her pregnancy, and then announcing it publicly during the championship parade, they way she was being treated changed. Hamby states that she was ordered to vacate the team-provided housing and the team began to backpedal on the tuition payments, among other mistreatment.
After an official WNBA investigation, the Los Vegas Aces coach was suspended for two games. The investigation found that coach Hammon had violated the team’s and league’s “respect in the workplace policies.” The 2024 Paris Olympic athlete felt as if the league didn’t do enough against the team or the coach to rectify the situation, hence she has taken the matter to the court system.
As mentioned, the 30-year-old talented athlete is mother to to two children: daughter, Amaya Marie, from a previous relationship, and son, Legend Maree Scandrick, who was born March of 2023. Hamby shares her son with Orlando Scandrick.
No additional details have been made public regarding the amount that Hamby is seeking for damages.
Photo: Dearica Hamby Instagram