WNBA Will Talk to All Teams About Workplace Policies After Becky Hammon Suspension

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league intends to speak with its 12 teams to discuss the Respect in the Workplace guidelines in wake of the suspension levied against Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon.

"We'll be talking with all of our teams, all of our coaches, with our Respect in the Workplace policies around the sensitivity, especially in a women's league," Engelbert said Thursday on NBA Today. "Really important to tailor those trainings to make sure everybody understands discussions that are held one-on-one with players or with a player group have to be in compliance with our policies."

The WNBA announced Tuesday it suspended Hammon for two games after she made comments to former player Dearica Hamby that violated the Respect in the Workplace policies.

Shortly after her trade from the Aces to the Los Angeles Sparks in January, Hamby alleged the team questioned her commitment after she became pregnant with her second child.

"The unprofessional and unethical way that I have been treated has been traumatizing," she said.

The WNBA also stripped Las Vegas of its 2025 first-round draft pick for promising Hamby impermissible benefits under the collective bargaining agreement.

In response, the Women's National Basketball Players Association said the league's ruling "misses the mark" and said the discipline "is far from appropriate."

The Aces were equally upset with the final outcome but for different reasons. They said they were "deeply disappointed" and argued they didn't circumvent the salary cap.

Las Vegas added the league's findings about Hammon "are inconsistent with what we know and love about her."

Hammon addressed the matter Wednesday and said she "never had one bad text between me and Dearica Hamby or email."

"I don't recall my relationship with Hamby being anything but on the up-and-up, and I'm just—obviously along with the organization—disappointed with the findings," she told reporters. "It's never [good] to have your name be associated with something like that, which is not who you are as a person. That's not how I operate. I did talk to my team; they were great. I have to say they've been very professional throughout this whole process."

Hammon added the Hamby trade was executed purely for basketball reasons and "never personal."

The defending champion Aces will open their season Saturday against the Seattle Storm. Hammon will return to the bench for their home opener on May 27 against the Los Angeles Sparks.