Becky Hammon who many believe could eventually become the NBA’s first-ever female head coach, has just been suspended two games by the WNBA, after the league determined she made inappropriate remarks about the pregnancy of one of her Las Vegas Aces players, TMZ reports.
The WNBA said in a statement Tuesday that following a months-long investigation into claims that the Aces mistreated pregnant star Dearica Hamby, it found that Hammon did violate a Respect in the Workplace policy during a conversation with the player.
The league did not say specifically what it believes the head coach told Becky Hammon though in a statement, it said the comments were “made by Hammon to Hamby in connection with Hamby’s recent pregnancy.”
The WNBA also docked the Aces a 2025 first-round pick following its findings.
Hamby first went public with the allegations in January, after she was traded from Las Vegas to the Los Angeles Sparks.
In a lengthy statement on her social media page, Hamby alleged the Aces “bullied, manipulated and discriminated against” her after she told the team she was pregnant.
She also accused the team of promising her “things to entice me to sign my contract extension that were not followed through on.”
“I was asked if I planned my pregnancy,” she wrote of the Aces in her statement. “When I responded, ‘no,’ I was then told that I ‘was not taking precautions to not get pregnant.'”
She continued, “I was being traded because ‘I wouldn’t be ready and we need bodies.'”
Hamby said despite the pregnancy, she fully planned to play in the 2023 season, which just kicked off this month but the team was still angry with her over it … and decided to trade her nonetheless.
“The unprofessional and unethical way that I have been treated has been traumatizing,” the 29-year-old said in her January statement. “To be treated this way by an organization, BY WOMEN who are mothers, who have claimed to ‘be in these shoes,’ who preach family, chemistry, and women’s empowerment is disappointing and leaves me sick to my stomach.”
46-year-old Hammon took over as head coach of the Aces back in Dec. 2021 — after years of working as an assistant on the San Antonio Spurs’ staff. Many, including Byron Scott, have said she deserves to one day be the first female head coach in the NBA.
Hammon has yet to publicly comment on Tuesday’s ruling.