Ex-Aces player pursues a lawsuit against the team

It is being reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the Las Vegas Aces are the only defendant remaining in a lawsuit filed by former Aces and current Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby’s federal discrimination lawsuit.

All of Hamby’s claims were dismissed against the WNBA last week by the U.S. District Court in Nevada.

Hamby, a former Sixth Player of the Year while with the Aces, initially filed that the Aces were “unlawfully motivated” to trade her to the Los Angeles Sparks in January 2023 because she was pregnant with her second child.

In last week’s order, U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon said that the decision to deny the Aces’ motion to dismiss Hamby’s discrimination claim came down to two of her allegations: that the Aces failed to invite her to their White House visit celebrating their 2022 WNBA championship win and prohibited the team’s videography staff from projecting her daughter on the video screen at an Aces game.

Hamby had three other claims in the lawsuit, but they did not exhibit any claim to retaliation.

Hamby also claims that the Aces instructed players and staff not to speak to her, attempted to access her medical records after informing her of the trade and that former general manager Natalie Williams incorrectly implied during a public radio interview that she was aware of Hamby’s pregnancy in June 2022.

The Aces recently signed veteran forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyrus back in February. The team is aware that she is pregnant and will be on maternity leave for the majority of the 2025 season.