The WNBA suspends Hammon and removes the draft pick Dearica Hamby what’s next for the Las Vegas Aces…

After a three-months-plus investigation involving more than 30 people, the WNBA said Tuesday it is suspending Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon for two games and taking away the Aces’ 2025 first-round draft pick because the franchise violated league rules regarding impermissible player benefits and workplace policies.

The investigation was launched because of claims made by former Aces player Dearica Hamby after she was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in January. Hamby accused the Aces of “unethical” behavior.

“Being traded is part of the business,” Hamby said in a statement posted on Instagram. “Being lied to, bullied, manipulated, and discriminated against is not.”

Hamby played for the Aces from 2015, when the franchise was still in San Antonio as the Stars, through 2022. She agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Aces last June. Hamby was then slowed by injury during the playoffs as Las Vegas won its first WNBA title.

Hamby announced during the Aces’ victory parade that she was expecting her second child and planned to play in the 2023 season. After the trade, she said she was told she was “not taking my workouts seriously” and that Aces personnel told her they “[didn’t] see that” she’d be ready to return.

“I have had my character and work ethic attacked,” Hamby’s statement read at the time. “I was promised things to entice me to sign my contract extension that were not followed through on.”

What do the penalties mean for the Aces and the WNBA? Let’s look at the issues involved.