Pregnancy & Elite Athletes: Hamby Alleges Discrimination in Suit Against the WNBA and Las Vegas Aces
Document Type
Conference Poster
Publication Date
2-28-2025
Abstract
In August of 2024, Dearica Hamby sued the WNBA and Las Vegas Aces alleging Pregnancy Discrimination under both Title VII and Nevada state law. While this case might be novel for a WNBA player, issues surrounding pregnancy and elite women's sport are not. High profile cases such as Brady v. Sacred Heart in 2003, Castergine v. New York Mets in 2015, and even Allyson Felix’s contract dispute with Nike starting in 2017 (after Kara Goucher’s previous pregnancy-related contract issues) all have highlighted a need for sensible, and non-punishing, pregnancy-related policies for female athletes. The purpose of this presentation is to examine existing WNBA policies, as well as Hamby’s lawsuit, with an eye towards recommending best practices going forward.
Department
Human Performance
Conference Name
2025 Sport & Recreation Law Association Conference
Conference Place
Myrtle Beach, SC
Recommended Citation
Zonder, E., & Houghton, E. J. (2025). Pregnancy & Elite Athletes: Hamby alleges discrimination in suit against the WNBA and Las Vegas Aces. Poster presented at the Sport & Recreation Law Association Conference. Myrtle Beach, SC.
