Becky Hammon: Las Vegas Aces head coach says Dearica Hamby’s pregnancy ‘was never a problem’

CNN
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Speaking to reporters a day after WBNA announced his suspension for violating league and team workplace policies, The Aces of Las Vegas Head coach Becky Hammon said she was disappointed with the league’s results, but looked forward to “putting this all behind us and playing good basketball.”

THE WNBA had investigated the allegations made by the former Aces striker Dearica Hambywho, after being traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in January, said the team discriminated against her because she became pregnant.

“(Her pregnancy) was not an issue, and it was never the reason we made the decision to move Hamby,” Hammon said.

“We made the decision to move Hamby because we could get three bodies for her contract alone…That was never an issue, and it was never the reason she was traded. That simply wasn’t the case.

“It came down to math and business. Nothing personal. I had a great relationship with Hamby the whole time, which is why she probably felt the way she felt, you know?

“It feels like a betrayal. It’s a shitty part of my job, but someone has to be the bearer of bad news.”

Hamby signed a two-year contract extension with the Aces in June. She said in an Instagram post that she was accused of signing the extension despite knowing she was pregnant, which she denied.

Following the investigation, the league said the workplace respect violation was related to comments made by Hammon to Hamby in relation to the 29-year-old forward’s recent pregnancy, while the violation of the team involved promises of impermissible benefits in negotiations for an extension of his player contract.

Hammon is suspended without pay for the Aces’ first two games of the regular season, and the franchise loses a 2025 first-round draft pick.

Hammon said the league told her she was suspended for “asking questions about her pregnancy and a private conversation (she) had with Dearica,” but also said she believed her relationship with Hamby was “thriving” when she was with the Ace.

When the decision was made to trade Hamby, “that’s when everything fell apart,” according to Hammon.

“Whatever Dearica considers painful or whatever, I don’t invalidate his feelings and I’m sorry that they were hurt,” Hammon said.

“My job is to have difficult conversations, but I still have to do a job. My job is to improve the As every year, and sometimes it’s a difficult process.

“As much as I can sit here and say that’s not how I thought the conversation was going, she deemed it different, and for that, I feel bad.” I don’t feel comfortable inflicting pain or stress on anyone. It’s just not in me. It’s not in my heart.