Former Las Vegas Aces forward Dearica Hamby has agreed to dismiss her lawsuit against the franchise, formally ending a legal battle that drew league-wide attention to issues of pregnancy discrimination and workplace treatment in professional women’s basketball.
The case, which had been unfolding in federal court for more than a year, centered on Hamby’s claims that she was treated unfairly by the Aces after becoming pregnant during the 2022 season.
Hamby, now a key contributor for the Los Angeles Sparks, initially filed the lawsuit in August of last year in the U.S. District Court of Nevada.
She alleged that the Aces and the WNBA discriminated against her and retaliated after she disclosed her pregnancy.
According to the filing, Hamby signed a contract extension with Las Vegas before learning she was pregnant with her second child, discovering the pregnancy approximately one month later.
At the heart of the complaint were allegations involving Aces head coach Becky Hammon. Hamby claimed Hammon accused her of knowingly signing the extension while pregnant and suggested that team officials believed she would “get pregnant again for a third time.”
The lawsuit further alleged that when Hamby asked directly whether her pregnancy played a role in her trade, Hammon did not deny it.
Settlement ends legal fight without admission of wrongdoing
As first reported by Front Office Sports, Hamby and the Las Vegas Aces jointly filed a motion on Thursday to dismiss the lawsuit in its entirety.
Court documents stated that the two sides “resolved this matter and agreed to dismiss this action in its entirety,” with each party agreeing to cover its own legal fees and costs. The dismissal effectively closes the final chapter of the case after the claims against the WNBA were thrown out in May.
Neither Hamby nor the Aces have publicly commented on the terms of the resolution. Daily Mail reported that attorneys representing Hamby, the Aces, and the league were contacted for comment following the filing.
The legal dispute had been closely watched across the league, particularly as the WNBA continues to emphasize family planning protections and maternity benefits for players.
Hamby, a bronze medalist with the United States 3×3 team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has remained outspoken about the importance of safeguarding players’ rights during pregnancy, even as the lawsuit proceeded.
Hammon has consistently denied Hamby‘s allegations since they first emerged publicly in 2023.
Read the full article here
