Aces Coach Becky Hammon Vehemently Denies Mistreatment of Dearica Hamby

Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon denies that the organization mistreated or bullied former player Dearica Hamby, who filed a federal lawsuit recently.

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon gave a passionate response when asked about the lawsuit filed by former player Dearica Hamby on Sunday. She vehemently denies any mistreatment or bullying, as Hamby alleges.

Hamby, who played with the San Antonio Stars/Las Vegas Aces from 2015-22, filed a federal lawsuit against the franchise and WNBA last Monday. She alleges that she was victim to "repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination and retaliation from the Aces" during her pregnancy.

Prior to the start of the 2023 season, Hamby was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks. She also claims that the WNBA did not "properly investigate the situation."

Sunday, Las Vegas defeated Los Angeles 87-71. After the game, Hammon was asked about the situation.

"Here's some facts," Hammon said. "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 didn't, actually, because Dearica didn't file any. She didn't file with the players' union, she didn't file with the WNBA. Those are facts.

"It's also factual that nobody made a call about trading her until Atlanta called us in January [2023]. That's a fact. So ... it just didn't happen. I'm sorry, the bullying? I spoke with her every day. If she wanted to practice, she practiced. If she didn't, she didn't. Over-the-top care, actually. Over-the-top care."

“I’ve been in either the WNBA or the NBA for 25 years now; I’ve never had an HR complaint—never, not once. I still didn’t actually ‘cause Dearica didn’t file any. She didn’t file with the players' union.She didn’t file with the WNBA. Those are the facts.” Becky Hammon on lawsuit pic.twitter.com/C0K1cLkpVw

— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) August 19, 2024

Following the trade in 2023, Hamby initially posted the allegations to social media. The WNBA then went through an investigation process, suspending Hammon two games for "a violation of league and team 'respect in the workplace' policies."

Hamby was not satisfied with the ruling and has filed a federal lawsuit.

"We are aware of today's legal filing and are reviewing the complaint." An Aces spokesperson told ESPN. "As an organization, we continue to stand behind our statement on May 16, 2023, made at the conclusion of the WNBA's investigation into this matter. Given that this is an ongoing litigation, the Aces will have no further comment at this time."