‘It didn’t happen’: Becky Hammon denies mistreating pregnant Aces player

Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon has again disputed former Aces player Dearica Hamby’s claim that the Aces mistreated her and traded her because of her pregnancy.

Hamby, who was transferred to Los Angeles in January 2023, played for the organization from 2015-22, starting when the Aces were based in San Antonio. She was named the league’s Sixth Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020.

Hamby, who went public with her allegations last year, filed a lawsuit against the WNBA and her former team in federal court on Monday.

“I’ve been in the WNBA or the NBA for 25 years,” Hammon said Sunday after the Aces defeated Hamby and the Sparks 87-71. “I’ve never had a human resources complaint. Never, not once. I still haven’t had one, actually, because Dearica didn’t file one. She didn’t file a complaint with the players union, she didn’t file a complaint with the WNBA. Those are facts.

“It’s also a fact that no one made a decision to trade her until Atlanta called us in January (2023). That’s a fact. So… it just didn’t happen.”

Hammon previously denied the allegations, saying in May 2023 that Hamby was traded for strategic reasons, namely to put the club in position to sign Candace Parker, a likely future Hall of Famer.

“We decided to move Hamby because we could get three bodies in her one contract, and we wanted to get three more people in there,” Hammon said at the time. “I think it’s very clear (with) who we signed why we did the move.”

The WNBA investigated the matter and suspended Hammon for two games without pay in May 2023. The Aces were also stripped of their 2025 first-round draft pick for providing impermissible player benefits in connection with Hamby.

Hamby, however, says the league didn’t go far enough. She filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in September alleging discrimination, and amended the complaint in October. According to the lawsuit, the EEOC ruled in May that she had the “right to sue.”