WNBA and Aces are sued by LA Sparks player Dearica Hamby for gender discrimination after ‘Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon retaliated against All-Star after learning she was pregnant’

Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby filed a gender discrimination complaint against the WNBA and the Las Vegas Aces last week, saying her former team and its coach, Becky Hammon, retaliated against her after she informed them that she was pregnant.

Hamby filed the complaint with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to a copy of the complaint obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

The complaint said the franchise created an “abusive and hostile” work environment for Hamby last year before trading her to the Los Angeles Sparks in the offseason. That came after Hamby told the team she was pregnant with her second child.

Hamby also claimed that Hammon asked the player if she had planned her pregnancy, adding that the coach told her that she was “not upholding her (end of the bargain”) after signing a two-year extension last year.

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Hamby also said the WNBA did not properly investigate her allegations. The league had a months-long investigation that concluded just before the season started, and Hammon was suspended two games for violating the league and team’s “respect in the workplace” policy.

“The league conducted a thorough investigation into the allegations and imposed appropriate disciplinary action based on its findings,” a WNBA spokesperson said.

The Washington Post was the first to report the complaint.

The complaint will be investigated and the EEOC may attempt to resolve the matter through mediation. If mediation fails or if the EEOC does not find reasonable cause that discrimination or retaliation has occurred, it will issue a right to sue letter, giving Hamby 90 days to file a lawsuit file in federal or state court.

The Aces are preparing to take on New York in the WNBA Finals, which begin Sunday. The team declined to comment on the new complaint.

In May, Hammon refuted Hamby’s claims, saying the Aces traded the two-time WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year because it was best for the team.

“(Hamby’s pregnancy) was not an issue, and that was never the reason we made this decision,” Hammon said at the time. “We made the decision to move Hamby because we could get three bodies on her contract, and we wanted to get three more people. I think it’s very clear (with) who we signed why we made the move.

Hamby had a productive season when the Sparks played two months after her son was born. She played in all 40 games and averaged 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds.

“The 2020 collective bargaining agreement provided player parents with protections that ensured that growing older did not mean the end of their careers,” the WNBA Players Association said in a statement. “It is clear that these protections have not changed the nature of this business. Any team can trade any player for any reason or no reason. But that reason cannot be based on race, gender, sexual orientation, parental status, or pregnancy status.”