Bradley Beal sees female head coach in NBA before long
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal thinks it won’t be long before we see a woman land a head coaching position in the NBA.
On Tuesday, the Wizards announced Washington Mystics guard Kristi Toliver will join the coaching staff. She becomes the first active WNBA player to be on an NBA coaching staff.
We are progressing towards a day when women aren’t just assistant coaches, but leading the coaching staff. Beal sees that time coming “sooner rather than later.”
Bradley Beal, after the Wizards' hiring of Kristi Toliver as an assistant, says he could see a female NBA head coach very soon: 'I wouldn't be surprised if it happened sooner rather than later… If you know the game, you know the game. Plain and simple.'
— Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) October 16, 2018
Earlier this year, the Milwaukee Bucks interviewed San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon for their vacant head coaching position. Hammon was hired by Greg Popovich in 2014 to become the first female full-time assistant in the NBA.
The Spurs, Wizards, Mavericks and Bucks have taken steps to help pave the way for a woman to one day be a head coach for an NBA franchise. What seemed impossible not too long ago now seems like it could happen in the future.