Becky Hammon, San Antonio’s assistant coach, is set to join the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA on a five-year deal, making her the league’s highest-paid coach. Reports indicated she would finish out the current NBA season as an assistant with the Spurs before making the move.
“There’s 30 jobs, and they are incredibly hard to get,” Hammon said a few months back when asked about making a move up from assistant to NBA head coach. “When I say there are 30 jobs, not all 30 are available, so I’m really talking about three or four, and they are really hard to get.”
Hammon has been an assistant coach with San Antonio since 2014.
On December 30, 2020, Hammon became the first female to serve as a head coach of an NBA game during the Spurs-Lakers matchup.
The Aces franchise originally started as the Utah Starzz in 1997 when the league was formed. They then moved to San Antonio in 2003, and to Las Vegas in 2018. Hammon played her final game for the San Antonio Stars in 2014.
Reports indicated the New York Liberty were also in pursuit of Hammon.
The current Aces coach, Bill Laimbeer, has been with the organizations since its move to Las Vegas and reports indicate he is expected to keep a role within the organization.
According the reports from The Athletic, Hammon will also serve as GM for the Aces.
Interestingly enough, Laimbeer coached the Detroit Shock through their sweep of Hammon’s Stars in the 2008 WNBA Finals.
“I was undrafted, played 16 years, and I wasn’t supposed to be here but here I am,” Hammon said year back at her jersey retirement.
Hammon will have a challenging transition ahead as the Aces enter next season with three players under contract heading into 2022.
Hammon spent 16 seasons as a player in the WNBA, a six-time all-star. She played the first half of her career with the New York Liberty before playing for San Antonio from 2007-2014.
She’s now continuing to pave paths never seen before.
