Dearica Hamby Receives Justice After Racist Text Incident
Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby has seen justice served after an employee who sent her a racist text was fired and banned from WNBA events.
A racist text sent privately to Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby has now cost its sender their job and access to every WNBA event. Acclaro Medical confirmed that an employee, identified by social media users after Hamby exposed the message, is no longer with the company. The WNBA went further, permanently banning the individual from all league games and events.
Hamby posted a screenshot on August 24 showing a message from an unknown number that contained a racial slur and derogatory language. She left the phone number visible and asked her followers for assistance in identifying the sender. Users quickly traced the number to an Acclaro Medical employee and contacted the company. Acclaro initially suspended the employee while investigating and publicly condemned the remarks. By September 1, the company confirmed the individual had been terminated. The method by which the sender obtained Hamby’s personal phone number remains unexplained.
The league backed Hamby after the sender was identified, stating it “stands unequivocally” with her and condemning the abuse “in the strongest possible terms.” The permanent ban carries significant consequences, as WNBA policy prohibits racist and abusive conduct, and direct threats against players can result in arena bans or referrals to law enforcement.
Hamby’s experience arrives during a season in which players have repeatedly pushed the league to take online harassment more seriously. In July, the WNBA and WNBPA publicly acknowledged a “recent increase in racist, hateful, and abusive messages directed at players” after league officials met with members of the players’ union. The WNBA committed to strengthening security resources as part of those discussions.
Other players have faced similar hostility this summer. A Hilton Grand Vacations employee was fired after directing a racial slur at Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray online. Additionally, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas has spoken openly about receiving racial abuse and death threats. These incidents have made player safety away from the court a central part of the league’s ongoing conversation regarding harassment and accountability.