Dearica Hamby’s pregnancy allegations: What do laws, WNBA CBA say?

Las Vegas Aces fans stood and cheered as their former star Dearica Hamby took the court at Michelob Ultra Arena in May. Wearing the purple jacket of the Los Angeles Sparks, she hugged Aces owner Mark Davis. That night, which was the last time the Sparks played the Aces this season, Hamby was the first player to receive her championship ring to commemorate her former team’s 2022 WNBA title. The moment was poignant because, earlier this year, Hamby wrote on social media that the Aces had questioned her and berated her for her pregnancy before she was told she had been traded to the Sparks. Her accusations prompted the WNBA to launch an investigation, which resulted in the loss of a draft pick for the Aces and a two-game suspension for coach Becky Hammon.

As the teams prepare to meet again this week, nobody involved — from WNBA officials to the Aces and Hamby — is talking about how the situation was resolved, but several key questions remain. Here’s a look at what happened, what is known about what the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement says about pregnancy and maternity leave, and what policies and legal protections might apply to players such as Hamby.

What does Hamby allege?

After Hamby was traded from the Aces to the Sparks in January, she claimed her former team “lied to, bullied, manipulated, and discriminated against” her because of her pregnancy.

Hamby, who had signed a two-year extension with the Aces in June 2022, announced during the team’s victory parade last year that she was expecting her second child. She claims she told the team she intended to play the 2023 season, but that Aces personnel told her they “‘[didn’t] see that'” she’d be ready to return and that she was “‘not taking [her] workouts seriously,'” according to her statement posted to Instagram at the time.

“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’),” Hamby said in her statement.

“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.'”

Hamby, a two-time Sixth Player of the Year, announced March 15 that she had given birth. She hit the court with her new team eight weeks later. She has played in all 19 Sparks games this season, averaging 9.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per…