When I told Vegas, it was a tough conversation. I was sweating bullets, literally—and I was all the way in China, so we were on a Zoom call at like 11:00 p.m. I was scared and worried, but I also had faith. I’ve played in this league for a long time. I’ve established myself well enough to where I knew I just had to be honest and up front, and they appreciated that. It went a long way, character-wise. I told them, “I’m committed to this team. I may be pregnant now, but I’m 100 percent determined to return this season if I can.”
Their response was the most comforting and supportive and gave me a huge sigh of relief. I think they felt my commitment, and they were really invested in me being on the team, too. I was thankful that they were able to make it work. Because even though they said, “We want you,” they still had to figure out how to keep an extra player on the roster. I signed a contract that allows them to sign a replacement player until I become active again.
I’m not going to lie, I was very surprised. I still am, especially because now I’m here and it wasn’t a bluff. [Editor’s note: In 2023, forward Dearica Hamby claimed the Aces engaged in unethical behavior when they traded her to the Los Angeles Sparks just months after she announced her pregnancy with her second child. The WNBA launched an investigation into those allegations, resulting in Coach Hammon being suspended for two games for violating Respect in the Workplace policies and the Aces’s 2025 first-round pick being rescinded due to the team providing “impermissible player benefits.” In August 2024, Hamby sued the Aces and the WNBA in federal court for discrimination and retaliation; this May the judge dismissed Hamby’s lawsuit against the WNBA but allowed her suit against the Aces to proceed.]
I’ve known Dearica since we started in the league, and she’s always been very open with me and helpful when I had scary questions about pregnancy. She was surprised at how the Aces responded, too—her experience was definitely on my mind throughout this process—but I would expect them to tread lightly after going through all that.
I’m a few weeks away from giving birth, but I’m still very much on the squad.
I’m in there like swimwear. The Aces are probably sick of me at this point. I’m in every huddle, like, “Let’s go!” I don’t travel with them, but when they’re home, I’m in practice. I’m there in the mornings. I lift with the strength coach. I’ll get shots up if I can. I don’t shoot as much anymore—I try to leave the court for my teammates, because they need that time. But I’m in the weight room, I’m in practice, and I’m in film. I’m there. I still have muscle mass, and I feel pretty strong.
The one thing that’s tough is I’m standing on the sideline and I hear them like, “All right, who’s next?” I’m ready to jump in there, but I know I can’t. Playing pregnant overseas really helped me understand when I need to sit my butt down.
I also work with my husband, who is my primary trainer. That’s been a huge part of my career—the longevity of it—because trainers are expensive. He also took a course on nutrition to learn what kind of foods I should be eating, especially now as a 32-year-old mom. He’s been a huge part of my overall success professionally, overseas and in the W. I know that he wants what’s best for me and my health and, of course, our baby’s health.
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