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Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon has broken her silence on Dearica Hamby's lawsuit against the franchise and the WNBA. Hammon firmly believes she didn't bully Hamby, who the Aces allegedly traded due to her pregnancy. Her statements came after fans called for her suspension.
In a postgame press conference on Sunday, Hammon was asked about her thoughts on Hamby's lawsuit. The two-time champion coach explained that they took care of the player during her pregnancy, which was not why they traded her. She also denied allegations of bullying.
"I've been in the WNBA and NBA for 25 years. I've never had an HR complaint, never not once. I still didn't 'cause actually Dearica couldn't file any. She didn't file with the players' union. She didn't file with the WNBA. Those are facts. It's also factual that nobody made a call about trading her until Atlanta called us in January," Hammon said.
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She added:
"It just didn't happen, the bullying. I spoke with her every day. If she wanted to practice, she practiced. If she didn't, she didn't. Over-the-top care, actually. Over-the-top care. That's the facts."
Fans have been calling for Becky Hammon's suspension amid Dearica Hamby's lawsuit against the Las Vegas Aces and the WNBA. For those unaware, Hammon was suspended for two games last season due to violating league and team workplace policies.
The league also rescinded the Aces' 2025 first-round pick for a different violation that involved Hamby. However, the WNBPA felt that the punishment handed out by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was not enough.
More details on Dearica Hamby's lawsuit
The Las Vegas Aces traded Dearic Hamby to the LA Sparks in January 2023, months after winning their first WNBA championship. Hamby gave birth two months later and then accused the Aces of trading her because of her pregnancy.
It prompted the league to start an investigation, conducting interviews with at least 33 people and reviewing texts, emails and documents to assess the issue. They suspended Becky Hammon for two games following the conclusion of their investigation, but Hamby wasn't satisfied.
The 30-year-old forward initially filed a federal discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against the WNBA and the Las Vegas Aces last September. She received her "notice of right to sue" in May and had 90 days to file it.
With less than nine days left on the deadline, Hamby filed a federal lawsuit on August 12. She accused the franchise of trading her because of her pregnancy despite signing an extension midway through the 2022 WNBA season.
