Women's Fastbreak On SI

Dearica Hamby Spreads Joyful Message Amid Las Vegas Aces' Surprising Leadership Change

Los Angeles Sparks standout Dearica Hamby is feeling great after the Las Vegas Aces made an unexpected decision in their front office.

Grant Young

Jul 5, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks forward Dearica Hamby (5) dribbles the ball in the first half against the Las Vegas Aces at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jul 5, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks forward Dearica Hamby (5) dribbles the ball in the first half against the Las Vegas Aces at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Back in August, Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby filed a lawsuit against the Las Vegas Aces and the WNBA to the U.S. District Court of Nevada that alleged Hamby was the victim of "repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination and retaliation" during the time she was pregnant leading up to and following her trade to the Sparks in 2023.

Hamby's suit accuses members of the Aces' staff (specifically head coach Becky Hammon) of mistreating her upon finding out she was pregnant, including Hammon questioning her dedication and commitment plus her telling Hamby that she must vacate team-provided housing.

While the lawsuit's outcome is still yet to be decided, Hamby's allegations have prompted a lot of criticism for Hammon and the Aces' front office in recent months.

It was announced on Saturday that the Aces are not renewing the contract of GM Natalie Williams, in a move they described as the start of a “restructuring of the front office, per an October 26 article from the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Callie Fin.

It's unknown whether there's any correlation between Hamby's lawsuit and the Aces ownership's decision to not renew Williams' contract. What's for sure is that shortly after the announcement was made, Hamby sent a particularly cheery message on X.

"What a beautiful day!!! The sun is out.. the birds are chirping and the sky is BLUEEEE!!!! 🥰," Hamby wrote.

Fans are noting that Hamby could be feeling good because of this news from the Aces franchise, where she played from 2015-2022.

Or Hamby could just be feeling blessed and grateful this Saturday. Either way, it's clear that not just the Aces' player roster will be undergoing changes this offseason.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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