HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon denied Wednesday that Dearica Hamby, a former player on her team, faced workplace harassment for being pregnant.
Hammon said instead that the differences between her and the basketball player stem from the fact that Hamby was traded.
Considered one of the main figures in women’s basketball, Hammon said in a press videoconference that she did not commit any act that warranted the sanction imposed on her by the WNBA.
The women’s league suspended her for two games without pay on Tuesday, following a month-long investigation into Hamby’s allegations.
“I’ll stick to this and move on,” Hammon said. “We are bigger than this. This does not define who the Aces are or who I am. And yes, we are all disappointed by the situation, but in the end, we know who we are and we go to sleep every night knowing that truth.”
Hammon said that he once asked Hamby about her pregnancy. However, he did not give details about what was discussed.
“I guess you’d have to ask the league what their interpretation was,” Hammon said. “But yes, that, as far as I understand, was my fault, if you want to call it that.”
Last year, in her first season, Hammon led the Aces to the WNBA championship. She spent eight seasons as the assistant coach of the San Antonio Spurs and is considered a rising star among basketball strategists.
He has been linked with the vacant coaching job with the Toronto Raptors.