Dearica Hamby just can’t seem to catch a break. Already entangled in a lawsuit controversy with her ex-team Las Vegas Aces, the Los Angeles Sparks star became the subject of constant boos at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Monday, while facing her former side for the WNBA clash. That didn’t settle in the eyes of few, including the iconic Sue Bird‘s wife, Megan Rapinoe, who urged supporters to ‘step back and just understand’ the consequences of the jeers on the players.

Finally settling in well post-summer games, Bird and Rapinoe released the third episode of their co-hosted podcast, ‘A Touch More.’ During the hour-long segment, the WNBA legend asked her significant other about the boos that Hamby faced. Seemingly disappointed, the USWNT icon said, “I did hear it [boos] last night, we were watching the game and I said there ain’t no way they are booing this woman right now.”

Rapinoe didn’t hold back on the supporters who were on the court while jeering Hamby, “This is sometimes honestly where sports fans [disapoint]…I’m like, you guys need to take a step back and just understand what you’re booing. She’s a mother, she’s an athlete, she was discriminated against, or feels that she was, she’s filed a federal lawsuit…I couldn’t believe that!”

Notably, Hamby represented Aces from 2015 to 2023, back when they were called the San Antonio Stars. However, last January saw the Aces trade her to the Sparks after finding out that the 30-year-old was pregnant with her second child. This eventually forced the recent Olympic bronze medal winner to file a federal lawsuit against both the Aces as well as the WNBA just last week.

The complaint alleged that the team traded her out because she was pregnant with her second child and that the league failed to conduct a thorough investigation. Dearica claimed that the Aces subjected her to “repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination and retaliation” prior to the trade. In response, WNBA agreed to have received the complaint and insisted on reviewing it closely.

Previously, Aces coach Becky Hammon explained Hamby’s trade by stating that they could acquire three players for the same cost as her contract and wanted to “bring more people in.” However, after their 87-71 victory over Hamby and the Sparks on Sunday, Hammon briefly addressed the lawsuit.

While asserting she has been in the WNBA for more than 25 years, she never received an HR complaint. Hammon denied the description of the events stating Hamby had filed any sort of complaint. “It just didn’t happen,” she said. While it remains a messy situation, Sue Bird claims that doesn’t justify the jeers against Dearica.

Sue Bird joins Megan Rapinoe to draw a ‘line’ amidst Dearica Hamby’s boos incident

“I think there’s just a line when it comes to fandom,” said Sue Bird while talking to Megan Rapinoe. The former Seattle Storm star kept herself in Dearica Hamby’s shoes, insisting she wouldn’t have minded on receiving boos while playing against her ex-team, only when the ‘legal stuff’ wasn’t happening off the court.

“This to me crossed whatever line exists, because now we’re talking about everything that you just touched on,” Bird told Rapinoe. “One thing I’ve learned with all legal matters is you have to let it play out … the booing just felt icky,” concluded the 43-year-old disagreeing with the conduct of the fans in attendance.

What are your thoughts on Dearica Hamby getting booed? Let us know in the comments.