The Las Vegas Aces and WNBA forward Dearica Hamby have mutually agreed to dismiss their lawsuit against the team, according to a filing Thursday in U.S. District Court in Nevada.
Hamby, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks, filed a complaint against the Aces and the WNBA in August 2024, alleging unlawful workplace discrimination and retaliation regarding her pregnancy with her second child. In the lawsuit, she alleged “notable” changes in how the Aces treated her after she publicly announced her second pregnancy in the fall of 2022, and said the team then traded her in January 2023 due to her pregnancy.
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Hamby, 32, also claimed in the lawsuit that the WNBA failed to adequately investigate the Las Vegas franchise after she first came forward with allegations of discrimination following her trade.
In May, a federal judge threw out Hamby’s lawsuit against the WNBA, saying she failed to prove that the league failed to adequately investigate the Aces. However, the judge said his lawsuit against Las Vegas could continue.
The Aces and Hamby agreed Thursday to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning she cannot refile the same suit against the team. Each party is responsible for its attorneys’ fees.
Hamby told Front Office Sports last week, “I stand by what I said” in the initial complaint and that “the matter is resolved.” She said she could not comment further on the matter.
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The Aces did not immediately respond to Athleticsrequest for comment.
After Hamby was traded in 2023, she came forward with her allegations of discrimination and the WNBA investigated her complaint. The investigation ultimately led the WNBA to void the Aces’ 2025 first-round pick for unauthorized player benefits and suspend coach Becky Hammon for two games for violating the league’s “Respect in the Workplace” policies.
In the lawsuit, Hamby alleged that during a phone call in January 2023, before her trade, Hammon told her she was a “question mark.” Hamby also alleged that during the call, Hammon did not deny Hamby’s claim that Hamby was traded because she was pregnant.
Hammon has denied any wrongdoing.
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“I treated Dearica with care from day one when she told me, and she knows it,” Hammon said at a press conference in May 2023. “Once I called and said the decision had been made to move her, you know, that’s when it all fell apart.”
Hammon said the Aces made a “mathematical and business” decision to trade Hamby because it “could get three bodies for his one contract.” Las Vegas traded Hamby to the Sparks for the rights to Amanda Zahui B. and a swap of 2024 draft picks.
Hamby won the 2022 WNBA championship with the Aces before her trade. The team won two more titles in three years.
Hamby, a three-time All-Star, averaged 18.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 44 regular season games with the Sparks in 2025.
—Ben Pickman contributed to this report.
This article was originally published in Athletics.
Las Vegas aces, WNBA, sports business
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