Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon has been suspended for two games in the regular season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The reason was reportedly allegations of "intimidation, manipulation and discrimination" of the Aces forward Dearica Hamby, 29, in January 2023. According to Hamby, the club expressed its displeasure with the fact that the athlete announced her pregnancy and temporarily dropped out of the team's roster. For that reason, Hamby moved to the Los Angeles Sparks club by trade.
The WNBA investigation interviewed 33 people and examined numerous emails and documents. In the end, several culprits were identified, including Hammon. Aside from disqualifying the former point guard, the Aces were denied a first-round draft pick in the 2025 draft.
Hammon, 46, has won two women's NBA championships as a player and as a head coach of the Aces (2022). Hammon was a bronze medalist of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and a silver medalist of the 2009 European Championship held in Latvia as a member of the Russian national team.