WNBA player hid her pregnancy to protect her job—now her story is exposing the pressure working moms still face

When WNBA player Cheyenne Parker-Tyus found out she was pregnant with her second child, she was overseas, playing in China’s top league and earning the highest salary of her career—and she knew exactly what was at stake. So she kept quiet.

“I couldn’t tell the team I was pregnant, because it was too risky,” Parker-Tyus told Women’s Health. “I thought they would cut me and send me home, and then I wouldn’t get my full salary, which was the best salary of my career.”

For many moms, that fear is familiar. You don’t have to be a pro athlete to know what it’s like to work through nausea, skip doctor’s appointments, or pretend everything’s fine—just to protect your paycheck.

Related: Serena Williams says she wouldn’t have to retire to have more kids ‘if I were a guy’

Pregnancy shouldn’t cost you your job

Even in 2025, being pregnant while employed can feel like a liability. And while Parker-Tyus’s story made headlines, experts say this kind of fear is far too common across every industry.Pregnancy discrimination is still happening—quietly, and often unchecked, despite federal protections like the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the PUMP Act. Thousands of complaints are filed every year—but countless others go unspoken, especially among women who can’t afford to lose income, insurance, or their standing at work.

If you’re pregnant and working—know your rights

Whether you’re on the court, in the classroom, or on Zoom calls at 38 weeks—here’s what the law says you’re entitled to:

• You can’t be fired just for being pregnant
  Federal law protects you from discrimination at work based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions.
• Reasonable accommodations are your right
  Need extra breaks, modified duties, or flexible hours? The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requires employers to support medically necessary accommodations.
• You have the right to pump in privacy
  Under the PUMP Act, employers must provide time and a private space (not a bathroom) to express breast milk during the workday.
• Job-protected leave may be available
  Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave under FMLA—for pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn bonding.

For more guidance, sites like Pregnant @ Work and the EEOC offer step-by-step breakdowns of your rights.

Recovery timelines look different for every parent

After a traumatic C-section with her first child, Parker-Tyus is advocating for a more supported experience this time—one that centers her needs and honors her recovery timeline. Now with a new team and more resources, she has access to pelvic floor specialists and postpartum support she never had before.

That’s a shift we need to see everywhere. Experts agree: recovery isn’t linear, and return-to-work plans should reflect that. Whether you’re heading back to the court or logging in from the couch, your recovery deserves to be factored in.

Related: New study shows Black women are 25% more likely to have C-sections, but why?

Moms need real support, not just policies on paper

Real support goes beyond legislation. It shows up in how moms are actually treated at work. That might look like:

• Gradual return plans
  
• Paid leave
  
• On-site or subsidized child care
  
• Lactation spaces that don’t feel like closets
  
• A workplace culture that doesn’t treat motherhood as a detour

These aren’t “nice-to-haves.” They’re the bare minimum.

Telling the truth about motherhood creates change

By sharing her story—including the fear, resilience, and reality of playing through pregnancy—Parker-Tyus is shifting the narrative.

She’s also reminding fellow moms: your right to have a family should never come at the expense of your career.

“I have a right to reproduce as a woman,” she says. “Just like men have a right to start families, so do we.”

Her voice joins a growing chorus of moms demanding better: better policies, deeper empathy, and support that doesn’t end six weeks after giving birth.

Because no mom should have to choose between her career and her family. Not in 2025. Not ever.