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"Abusive and hostile" - When pregnant WNBA star filed gender discrimination complaint against Becky Hammon and Aces

Dearica Hamby was traded from the Las Vegas Aces to the Los Angeles Sparks in January 2023, but the move sparked a dispute after she filed a gender‑discrimination complaint alleging the Aces and head coach Becky Hammon created an abusive and hostile environment because she was pregnant. Hamby said Hammon told her she was not fulfilling the “bargain” of a two‑year contract extension she signed the previous year, and she described the comments and treatment as traumatizing.

The WNBA investigated the allegations, suspending Hammon for two games without pay for violating league respect‑in‑the‑workplace policies and penalizing the Aces by stripping them of their 2025 first‑round draft pick for impermissible player‑benefit violations. Hamby also filed a federal lawsuit and an EEOC complaint, intensifying scrutiny of the league’s protections for pregnant players.

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