Dearica Hamby is ready to move forward from her claims of “unethical” treatment by the Las Vegas Aces in the wake of the penalties the WNBA handed down Tuesday to her former team.

Aces coach Becky Hammon was suspended for the first two games of the 2023 season for comments she made to Hamby about her pregnancy. The Aces traded Hamby to the Los Angeles Sparks in January, and she gave birth to a son named Legend in March.

The WNBA also rescinded the Aces’ 2025 first-round draft pick for promises of “impermissible benefits” made to Hamby during the negotiations for her contract extension in June 2022.

While the league announced the penalties Tuesday, Hamby had known about them since Monday, the 29-year-old forward said.

“I really don’t have much to say about it,” she said. “I want to move forward and focus on where I am today. I’m healthy, I’m happy. My son is healthy and I’m going to be playing basketball this season so I want to focus on moving forward, this part of it is over and me and the union will continue to explore my options.”

The WNBPA called the penalties issued to the Aces “far from appropriate” and pledged its continued support for Hamby as she “considers the league’s decision and explores all available remedies.”

Hamby helped the Aces to their first WNBA title in franchise history in September, then revealed her pregnancy to the public during their championship parade.

After her trade to the Sparks, though, Hamby claimed the Aces had “discriminated against” her due to her pregnancy. While she did not specify who in the Las Vegas front office had commented on her pregnancy, she said her commitment to the team was questioned.

“I was told that ‘I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain’ (because ‘no one expected me to get pregnant in the next two years’),” she wrote.

The WNBA investigated Hamby’s allegations and found Hammon had made comments to Hamby about her pregnancy in violation of the league’s Respect in the Workplace policies. The league did not provide details on the comments.

Still, despite the investigation, Hamby is focusing on “turning the motor back on for basketball.”

“I doubted myself for a little bit but I’m back,” Hamby said. “A woman’s body is incredible in general. I’m going to play and I told (Sparks coach) Curt (Miller) to hold me to the same standard you would if I was fully healthy or not recovering from pregnancy. I work hard and I think that will speak for itself.”

In a statement, the Aces said that they are “deeply disappointed” by the results of the league’s investigation. They also noted that the WNBA’s findings about Hammon “are inconsistent with what we know and love about her.”

Hammon is set to return from her two-game suspension for the Aces’ first home game of the season on May 27, when the team will hold its championship ring and banner-raising ceremony. They will be facing Hamby and the Los Angeles Sparks.

The WNBA punished the Las Vegas Aces after an investigation into their treatment of Dearica Hamby, but the WNBA Players Association called the penalties “far from appropriate.”

The Aces lost their first-round pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft for offering Hamby “impermissible benefits” when negotiating a two-year extension last June, and Aces coach Becky Hammon received a two-game suspension for her comments to Hamby about her pregnancy. The WNBA’s decision in both cases “misses the mark,” the players association said in a statement.

“Where in this decision does this team or any other team across the League learn the lesson that respect in the workplace is the highest standard and a player’s dignity cannot be manipulated?” the WNBPA said.

Hamby was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in January, four months after she won a championship with Las Vegas and seven months after she signed an extension with the team. After the trade, Hamby wrote in an Instagram post that a member of the Aces’ front office had made “disgusting comments” about her pregnancy.

“Did the team expect me to promise not to get pregnant in exchange for the contract extension?” Hamby wrote.

The WNBPA called for an investigation into Hamby’s accusations at the time and pledged its continued support for her Tuesday “as she considers the league’s decision and explores all available remedies.”

In regard to the lost draft pick, the WNBPA also questioned the league’s decision to take a draft spot from a prospective player.

“While taking away a future draft pick is significant and has never been done in the league’s history, it penalizes a future player by removing an opportunity to compete for a job,” the WNBPA said.

Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon has been suspended for two games without pay and the team has lost its 2025 first-round draft pick as the result of a WNBA investigation, the league announced Tuesday.

Former Aces player Dearica Hamby’s claims of “unethical treatment” from the team led to the investigation. The Aces “discriminated against” Hamby due to her pregnancy, she said in a statement after her trade to the Los Angeles Sparks in January.

In announcing the Aces’ punishments, the WNBA confirmed that Hammon made comments to Hamby about her pregnancy in violation of the league’s Respect in the Workplace policies. Hamby had not specified who in the Las Vegas front office had commented on her pregnancy.

The league did not provide details on Hammon’s comments to Hamby, but Hamby had outlined the team’s criticisms from her perspective in her statement earlier this year.

“I was told that I was ‘a question mark’ and that it was said that I said I would ‘get pregnant again’ and there was a concern for my level of commitment to the team,” she wrote. “I was told that ‘I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain’ (because ‘no one expected me to get pregnant in the next two years’).”

The Aces also had made promises of “impermissible benefits” when negotiating a two-year extension with Dearica Hamby last June, which led to the loss of the 2025 draft pick.

“It is critical that we uphold the values of integrity and fairness, which create a level playing field for our teams,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “The Aces failed to adhere to league rules and regulations and have been disciplined accordingly. We are also disheartened by the violation of our Respect in the Workplace policies and remain committed to ensuring that enhanced training is conducted and standards are followed across all WNBA teams.”

Several people interviewed by the league also raised concerns about the Aces’ conduct during the most recent free agency period, but the investigation “was not able to substantiate any of those additional concerns,” the league said. The investigation involved interviews with 33 people as well as the review of texts, emails and other documents.

The loss of a 2025 first-round pick could prove particularly costly, especially considering that Las Vegas does not have a 2024 first-round pick due to a prior trade. A number of college stars, including Caitlin Clark, Hailey Van Lith, and Angel Reese, are set to enter the league in the next two years.

The Las Vegas Aces dealt Dearica Hamby to the Los Angeles Sparks this weekend, which prompted a tribute from her longtime Aces teammate Kelsey Plum.

“This one stings,” Plum wrote on Instgram. “My sister, my friend, my teammate, just an amazing human being. I love you, ur strength never ceases to amaze me. I will miss you and Amaya dearly. LA got a good one.”

The pair have played together since 2017, when Plum was drafted No. 1 overall by the franchise. Hamby was drafted with the sixth overall pick by the franchise in 2015.

Hamby made her own thoughts on the trade known as well. She called out the Aces, who she said acted “unprofessional and unethical” in their treatment of her pregnancy. The 29-year-old forward revealed her pregnancy at the Aces’ championship parade.

Under the current collective bargaining agreement, teams are allowed to sign a replacement player under a maternity cap exception if they do not have the cap room.

Yet Hamby wrote that her “honesty was met with coldness, disrespect, and disregard from members of management.”

“To be treated this way by an organization, BY WOMEN who are mothers, who have claimed to ‘be in these shoes,’ who preach family, chemistry and women’s empowerment is disappointing and leaves me sick to my stomach,” she continued. “We fought for provisions that would finally support and protect player parents. This cannot now be used against me.”

The WNBPA is investigating the Las Vegas Aces after a player raised concerns regarding the conduct of the team’s management.

While the WNBPA did not name the player, the statement came after former Aces player Dearica Hamby claimed in her own statement that the organization treated her in an “unprofessional and unethical” manner due to her pregnancy.

“Being traded is part of the business,” Hamby said in the statement posted on Instagram. “Being lied to, bullied, manipulated, and discriminated against is not.”

The WNBPA will review the matter and “seek a comprehensive investigation to ensure that her rights under the collectively bargained provisions of the 2020 CBA, as well as her rights and protections under state and federal law, have not been violated,” the players association said in its statement.

Under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, players in the WNBA are guaranteed their salary while on maternity leave. Additionally, they are guaranteed two-bedroom apartments by the league and a child-care stipend.

The policy, introduced in the 2020 CBA, was monumental for the league and for women’s sports in general, as it marked a step toward guaranteeing that players can be both mothers and athletes during their careers. The WNBA became the first women’s professional league in the United States to guarantee fully paid maternity leave to players.

More issues surrounding maternity benefits for athletes have arisen over the past week.

On Tuesday, Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir revealed the treatment she received from French club Olympique Lyonnais after becoming pregnant – including withheld pay. FIFA rules established in late 2020 dictate that players receive pregnancy and maternity leave, and the club has been ordered to provide backpay to Gunnarsdóttir.

Many players called out Lyon for the policy, including Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan. Morgan was at the forefront of negotiations for both the USWNT CBA – which stipulates parental leave and protections – and the NWSL CBA, which also has protections for mothers.

In her statement, Hamby wrote that her “honesty was met with coldness, disrespect, and disregard from members of management.”

“To be treated this way by an organization, BY WOMEN who are mothers, who have claimed to ‘be in these shoes,’ who preach family, chemistry and women’s empowerment is disappointing and leaves me sick to my stomach,” Hamby wrote. “We fought for provisions that would finally support and protect player parents. This cannot now be used against me.”

Dearica Hamby claimed Saturday that the Las Vegas Aces were “unprofessional and unethical” in their treatment of her following her pregnancy announcement.

The 29-year-old forward posted a statement to Instagram just hours after she was traded from the Aces to the Los Angeles Sparks, in which she called the way the Aces treated her “traumatizing.”

“Being traded is part of the business,” Hamby said. “Being lied to, bullied, manipulated, and discriminated against is not.”

A core member of the 2022 WNBA championship team, Hamby was dealt to the Sparks alongside a 2024 first-round pick in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick and the rights to negotiate with forward Amanda Zahui B.

Hamby had signed a two-year contract extension with the Aces in June and had spent her entire career with the organization.

During the Aces’ victory parade, Hamby announced that she was expecting her second child. She wrote in her Instagram post that she planned to play the 2023 season and had made that clear to the Aces, including working out with team staff.

Hamby said that she was accused of “not taking my workouts seriously” and that team personnel told her that they “[didn’t] see that” she’d be able to make a return in the 2023 season.

“I have had my character and work ethic attacked,” Hamby’s statement reads. “I was promised things to entice me to sign my contract extension that were not followed through on. I was accused of signing my extension knowingly pregnant. This is false.

“I was told that I was ‘a question mark’ and that it was said that I said I would ‘get pregnant again’ and there was a concern for my level of commitment to the team. I was told that ‘I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain’ (because ‘no one expected me to get pregnant in the next two years’).

“Did the team expect me to promise not to get pregnant in exchange for the contract extension? I was asked if I planned my pregnancy. When I responded, ‘no,’ I was then told that I ‘was not taking precautions to not get pregnant.’ I was being traded because ‘I wouldn’t be ready and we need bodies.'”

Under the current CBA, teams are allowed to sign a replacement player under a maternity cap exception if they do not have the cap room.

Still, Hamby wrote that her “honesty was met with coldness, disrespect, and disregard from members of management.”

“To be treated this way by an organization, BY WOMEN who are mothers, who have claimed to ‘be in these shoes,’ who preach family, chemistry and women’s empowerment is disappointing and leaves me sick to my stomach,” she continued. “We fought for provisions that would finally support and protect player parents. This cannot now be used against me.”

The Aces did not respond to ESPN or to CNN when asked to comment on Hamby’s statement. The WNBA said that it could not provide a comment at this time.

In a statement, the WNBPA said it would be calling for an investigation about “serious concerns” regarding the Aces’ management.

Hamby also took time to thank the Sparks, as well as general manager Karen Bryant and head coach Curt Miller.

“The sincerity in our phone calls and the validation of what was transpiring meant a lot to me,” she wrote. “I will not let what I experienced dictate my dedication to my return and commitment to basketball and belief in this franchise.”

The Las Vegas Aces traded two-time Sixth Player of the Year Dearica Hamby to the Los Angeles Sparks, the team announced Saturday.

The Sparks are sending center Amanda Zahui B. to the Aces. The teams also will trade 2024 draft picks, with the Aces trading their first-round pick and receiving the Sparks’ second-round pick.

The first-round pick of the Aces franchise in 2015, Hamby has spent her entire eight-year career with the team. She joined the franchise in its move from San Antonio to Las Vegas in 2018, and she was named an All-Star for the second straight season in 2022.

The 6-foot-3 forward also helped clinch the first WNBA title in franchise history in 2022. During the championship parade, she revealed that she was pregnant with her second child.

Ahead of the 2022 season, Hamby had signed a two-year contract extension with the Aces.

“I’m blessed,” Hamby said at the time. “What we’ve been building in Las Vegas is incredibly special, and I’m excited to continue to be a part of it.”

More recently, Hamby tweeted about being a member of the WNBA while pregnant.

“Imagine expressing your fears as a woman and being pregnant in this profession/world…. Then to be reassured that you were supported.. and your back was “had”…. only to then be used against you,” she wrote.

On Saturday, Hamby addressed the trade in a tweet.

“Thankful for the love!!!” she wrote. “The best is yet to come! Looking forward to being in LA and can’t wait to get back on the court.”

In a statement, Aces’ general manager Natalie Williams said Hamby played a “big role” in the team’s success.

“Dearica has dedicated eight years of her career to this organization, and played a big role in our success since the team moved to Las Vegas,” said Williams. “We’re going to miss her as a teammate, and are grateful for all of her contributions to the Aces over the years.”

Zahui B., meanwhile, did not play last season in the WNBA. She was placed on the full-season suspension list over to a limited availability due to overseas obligations.

Through seven seasons in the WNBA, Zahui B. has averaged 6.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.

Las Vegas Aces forward Dearica Hamby is pregnant with her second child, she announced during the team’s championship parade Tuesday.

After an announcer called her “Amaya’s mom” following her speech, in reference to her daughter, Hamby made a key correction.

“It’s no longer Amaya’s mom,” she said. “It’s Amaya and Legend’s mom.”

Her daughter Amaya confirmed the news on Sydney Colson’s Instagram Live broadcast, announcing that she is going to have a baby brother.

Hamby has been a member of the franchise since its time in San Antonio, and she played a big part this season, averaging 9.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

She struggled during the playoffs, though, missing the first round with a knee injury and playing just eight total minutes during the semifinal series against the Seattle Storm.

In the WNBA Finals against the Connecticut Sun, her numbers ticked up, with Hamby contributing seven points, seven rebounds and five assists through 44 minutes across four games.

The two-time WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year was also named an All-Star this season, her second such nod.

Back in June, she signed a multi-year contract extension to remain in Las Vegas.

“I’m blessed,” Hamby said at the time. “What we’ve been building in Las Vegas is incredibly special, and I’m excited to continue to be a part of it.”