On Tuesday, the WNBA suspended Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon after a player accused her and the league of bullying and manipulating her when she was pregnant.
After an investigation, the league decided that Hammon deserved a two-game suspension for violating the league and team respect in the workplace policies, according to Fox News.
“It is critical that we uphold the values of integrity and fairness, which create a level playing field for our teams,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement on Tuesday.
“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,” the league continued.
Head coach Becky Hammon and Chelsea Gray #12 of the Las Vegas Aces look on in the second quarter of Game Two of the 2022 WNBA Playoffs finals against the Connecticut Sun at Michelob ULTRA Arena on September 13, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The suspension came after former WNBA player Dearica Hamby accused the league of mistreating her when she was pregnant, an act she says led to being traded away from the Aces.
“Being traded is a part of the business. Being lied to, bullied, manipulated and discriminated against is not,” Hamby wrote on Instagram in January. “I have had my character and work ethic attacked. 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,” Hamby added. “I was told I was a ‘question mark’ and that it was set that 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.’ I planned to play this season, and I have expressed my desire to play this season,” she said. “I have pushed myself throughout my entire pregnancy and have continued to workout (basketball included) on my own and with team staff – even on days where it was uncomfortable to walk, only to be inaccurately told that ‘I was not taking my workouts seriously.’”
Head coach Becky Hammon of the Las Vegas Aces speaks during a news conference before Game One of the 2022 WNBA Playoffs finals against the Connecticut Sun at Michelob ULTRA Arena on September 11, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada. ( Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Hamby blasted the league for how she says she was treated.
“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 added. “We fought for provisions that would finally support and protect player parents. This cannot now be used against me.”
Hamby wasn’t a back-bench player, either. She was WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year in 2019 and 2020, averaging 9.3 points and 7.1 rebounds during the Aces’ championship season in 2022.
Along with coach Hammon’s two-game suspension, the Aces lost their 2025 first-round draft pick for violating Hamby’s two-year contract extension signed only months before being traded to the Los Angeles Sparks.
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