Dearica Hamby knew it would be a tough return to Las Vegas. The Sparks forward had made the trip several times since being traded to Los Angeles from the Aces.

But the most recent visit — an Aug. 18 game between the Sparks and the Ace — was unmistakably different.

That’s because this time around, she was just days away from filing a federal lawsuit detailing “repeated acts of harassment, discrimination and retaliation” she faced after telling the Aces and head coach Becky Hammon that she was pregnant — which she says ultimately resulted in her being traded. In the 18-page lawsuit, Hammon detailed that she was promised extra benefits by the Aces — such as having her daughter’s private school tuition reimbursed — but lost them when her pregnancy came to light. A full explanation of the allegations can be found here.

It wasn’t the first time Hamby’s allegations against the Aces and Hamon were investigated. When the WNBA investigated last year, they suspended Hammon for two games and stripped the organization of its 2025 first-round draft pick.

But this time, Hamby demanded financial compensation and the lawsuit was moved to the federal level, leading to a new wave of media attention.

When the Sparks visited the Aces for the first time since the federal lawsuit on Aug. 18, Hamby knew returning to Las Vegas could be a challenge.

“Ironically, I’ve tried to process it and prepare myself for it, but you can’t really prepare for it until you’ve experienced it yourself,” Hamby said on a recent podcast episode of Good Game with Sarah Spain.

When the Aces-Sparks match started, she was reportedly booed every time she touched the ball.

“I was holding back tears the whole game,” Hamby said. “It was heartbreaking, but people don’t really know or understand it, they just go by the sporting aspect of it. I get that.”

Hamby, a three-time All-Star, played for the Aces for eight years before the deal, winning the Sixth Woman of the Year award in 2019 and 2020. In 2022, she helped the franchise to its first-ever title.

But as the booing filled the Michelob ULTRA arena, her illustrious resume with the Aces organization seemed to be beside the point, and instead the lawsuit took center stage. In the podcast, Hamby told Sarah Spain that she suspected much of the hostility was coming from newer fans.

“I don’t know if it was new fans, I think a lot of the old fans probably weren’t in it,” Hamsby said. “But the love and the heart that I put into being a part of that, and I didn’t ask to leave, so to speak.”

After the Sparks-Aces game on August 18, which ended in an 87-71 victory for the Aces, Hammon denied any wrongdoing to reporters.

“It just didn’t happen. Sorry — the bullying, I talked to her every day,” Hammon said. “If she wanted to practice, she practiced. If she didn’t want to, she didn’t. Over-concern, really. Over-concern. That’s the fact.”

It’s been nearly a month since the two teams faced off in front of a raucous Aces crowd. The Sparks’ season is nearly over, the Aces are looking to make a playoff push — and the federal pregnancy discrimination lawsuit is still pending. It’s a story that likely isn’t over yet, and one that could have far-reaching ramifications.

For now, Hamby is only hoping for a positive outcome.

“It was a moment where — leading up to it, I had this huge sense of overwhelm and fear in my stomach,” she said. “That process is over, I’m just looking forward to the right thing being done.”