WNBPA releases first statement after LA Sparks star Dearica Hamby files lawsuit against Las Vegas Aces and WNBA

The WNBAPA has released a statement in response to Dearica Hamby's lawsuit against her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, as well as the WNBA. Hamby filed a federal lawsuit on Monday due to alleged discrimination by the Aces when they traded her after finding out she was pregnant.

Hamby included the league because they allegedly failed to properly investigate the issue, leading to her filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission back in October.

WNBAPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson released the following statement regarding the LA Sparks star's lawsuit:

"We reiterate our previous position that in the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement, player parents gained protections that ensured becoming a parent did not mean the end of a career. Obviously, these protections did not change the nature of this business. Any team can trade any player for any legitimate reason or no reason at all. But that reason can never be on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, parental status, or pregnancy status."

Dearica Hamby spent the first eight years of her career with the San Antonio Stars-Las Vegas Aces franchise. Hamby was part of the Aces' roster that won the 2022 WNBA Championship. She was traded to the LA Sparks last year, although head coach Becky Hammon has denied it was made due to the pregnancy.

The 30-year-old forward signed a new two-year deal with the Aces in June 2022 and was even given incentives such as team-provided housing and private school tuition for her daughter. A month later, she found out that she was pregnant.

Hamby told Hammon and the franchise in August of that year, allegedly making the Aces unhappy with her commitment to the team. All the incentives were pulled after the 2022 WNBA season and she was traded in January 2023. It led to her going public with what she experienced, prompting the league to investigate.

In May 2023, the league suspended Becky Hammon for two games due to violating "respect in the workplace" policies. They also rescinded the Aces' 2025 first-round draft pick due to "impermissible player benefits" with Dearica Hamby.

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Becky Hammon explained the Dearica Hamby trade in 2023

Becky Hammon refuted Dearica Hamby's allegations that pregnancy was the reason she got traded. Hammon explained to reporters back in May 2023 that it was all about roster construction and nothing personal. She even pointed out that she had a great relationship with Hamby prior to the trade.

"We made the decision to move Hamby because we could get three bodies in for her one contract. I think it's very evident who we signed why we made the move, but it was never an issue and it was never the reason she was traded. It just wasn't. It came down to math and business. That's all it was. Nothing personal," Hammon said. [H/T Associated Press]

She added:

"I had a great relationship with Hamby the whole time, which is probably why she felt the way she did. It feels like a betrayal. It's a crappy part of my job, but somebody's got to be the bearer of bad news."

Dearica Hamby, who is in her second year with the Sparks, is currently having the best season of her WNBA career. She is averaging 19.2 points, 10 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 35.2 minutes per game, which are all career-highs.