Ex-Las Vegas Aces Player Dearica Hamby's Discrimination Lawsuit Advances; Claims Against WNBA Dismissed by Federal Judge

Last week, a federal judge ruled that the lawsuit filed by former Las Vegas Aces player Dearica Hamby against her old team can go ahead, while simultaneously dismissing all of her claims against the WNBA. Hamby's allegations of discrimination and retaliation by the Aces appear to be gaining legal traction, with U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon denying most of the Aces' motion to dismiss the lawsuit, as reported by News3LV.

The heart of the lawsuit stems from Hamby's claim that the Aces were compelled to trade her to the Los Angeles Sparks after she announced her pregnancy in September 2022. The complaint goes on to allege that she suffered retaliation, with coaches and team members instructed not to speak to her and her being conspicuously not invited to a White House celebration, according to a statement obtained by Review-Journal. These instances form the basis for the discrimination claim to move forward, but the judge also gave Hamby until June 6 to amend her complaint regarding other retaliatory claims that were not as clearly connected.

While the Aces' attempts to dismiss the lawsuit have been largely unsuccessful, the WNBA faced a better outcome with Gordon ruling that the league's handling, or alleged mishandling, of the investigation into Hamby's discrimination claims does not constitute as an "adverse employment action." Hamby's lawsuit also charged that the WNBA's failure to renew her marketing contract was retaliatory but the court did not uphold these claims.

The Aces have shown support for their head coach Becky Hammon throughout the proceedings. Hammon has maintained that her decisions regarding Hamby were purely business-related. "I've been in either the WNBA or the NBA for now 25 years. I’ve never had an HR complaint. Never. Not once. I still (haven’t) actually, because Dearica didn’t file any," Hammon told Review-Journal after a game against the Sparks. In the wake of the case, the Aces signed forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, also pregnant, demonstrating perhaps a shift or at least an examination of policy toward pregnant players on their roster.

As the legal tussle continues to unfold, the tangible repercussions for the Aces are just starting to become clear, with the team set to to begin their 2025 season without a first-round draft pick this coming Saturday. Hamby, now with the Sparks, will continue her career in Los Angeles while fighting for her claims in Nevada's courts. While the Aces had no comment on the recent developments, the stakes surrounding the case hang over the team as they prepare to face the New York Liberty in the season opener.