Becky Hammon reportedly has accepted a head coach job finally. But the job will likely surprise you.
Hammon reportedly is finalizing a deal with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces to become the league’s highest-paid head coach.
Hammon, 44, is currently an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. She has served as an assistant with the Spurs since 2014.
Hammon broke many barriers in the NBA. After Gregg Popovich was ejected during a game last year, Hammon became the first woman to serve as a head coach during an NBA game. She was the first female full-time assistant coach in the NBA.
In recent years, Hammon reportedly was considered a candidate for some NBA head coach vacancies. She even turned down some college jobs because she was believed to be waiting to ultimately become an NBA head coach. That is what makes her taking a job in the WNBA so surprising.
Maybe Hammon got the sense that becoming an NBA head coach wasn’t about to happen any time soon. A report in June suggested that might be the case. Or maybe Hammon feels she needs to have some success as a head coach somewhere before receiving serious consideration in the NBA.
The Aces have been coached by Bill Laimbeer since 2018, but he may move to another role within the organization to accommodate Hammon.
Photo: Kelley L. Cox-USA TODAY Sports
