Aces coach Becky Hammon has denied any wrongdoing in connection to a WNBA investigation looking into the mistreatment of former player Dearica Hamby.
Hammon’s two-game suspension without pay came after the league looked into Hamby’s allegations that her pregnancy negatively impacted her status with Las Vegas and led to bullying. Hamby and a 2024 first-round pick were traded to the Sparks in January for a 2024 second-round pick and the rights to Amanda Zahui B.
“I’ll take my little lump on the chin and keep it moving,” Hammon said when asked about the suspension. “We’re bigger than this. It’s just not who the Aces are. It’s not who I am. And so, yeah, everybody’s disappointed in the situation but at the end of the day, we know who we are and so we go to sleep every night in that truth.”
The WNBA said Hammon violated the league and team’s “Respect in the Workplace” policies in her treatment of Hamby. The Aces were also found to have promised Hamby “impermissible benefits” in relation to her contract extension negotiations, resulting in the team being docked its 2025 first-round draft pick.
Hammon admitted that she did ask Hamby about her pregnancy one time, but wouldn’t disclose what was said.
“I guess you’d have to ask for [the league’s] interpretation. But yeah, that from my understanding was my misstep, if you will.”
As far as Hamby’s trade to Los Angeles, Hammon denied that the pregnancy was the reason she was dealt.
“We made the decision to move Hamby because we could get three bodies in for her one contract,” she said. “I think it’s very evident who we signed and why we made the move, but [Hamby’s pregnancy] was never an issue and it was never the reason she was traded. It just wasn’t. It came down to math and business. That’s all it was. Nothing personal.”
In response to the WNBA’s discipline of the Aces and Hammon, Hamby said she wanted to “move forward and focus on where [she is] today.”
“I’m healthy, I’m happy, my son is healthy and I’m gonna be playing basketball this season,” she said Tuesday. “Just want to focus on moving forward, this part of it is over and then me and the union will continue to explore my options.”
