Reports from The Athletic indicate that Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon is in the process of finalizing a 5 year deal to become the next head coach of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces. The deal will make Hammon the league’s highest paid coach and signals a major hire for the league.
Hammon has previously interviewed for several head coaching positions in the NBA since joining Popovich’s staff in 2014. She was a finalist for the vacant Trailblazers position, but the team ultimately opted to go with former NBA Champion Chauncey Billups for the role.
The deal will be formally announced prior to the WNBA’s free agency window opening in January. Hammon plans to finish out the season with San Antonio before making the jump to her new role in Vegas.
The hiring is a “homecoming” of sorts for Hammon. The Aces were originally the Utah Starzz, before moving to San Antonio in 2003, and finally settling in Las Vegas in 2018. While in San Antonio, Hammon played 8 seasons for the Stars before retiring in 2014 to join the NBA coaching ranks. This past season, the Aces acknowledged Hammon’s contributions to the franchise while they were in Texas by retiring her number.
The Aces are a team on the cusp of a championship, having lost in the semi finals twice and the finals once in the last 3 seasons. Anchored by Liz Cambage and A’ja Wilson, Vegas has posted a 77-45 record over the past four years.
Former Pistons forward Bill Laimbeer built a solid foundation in the desert, however it remains unclear with the signing of Hammon what (if any) role he will play with the organization moving forward. For every rumour that he could be moving to a front office position, there have been just as many whispers that he’s trying to make the jump back to the NBA or is considering taking a break from basketball altogether. Former GM Dan Padover left this fall to take on GM & Executive Vice President roles with the Atlanta Dream so perhaps Laimbeer slides into this position ahead of the 2022 season.
While some may be disappointed that Hammon isn’t being given a shot at becoming the first woman to coach an NBA team, she hasn’t closed the door on the possibility of one day rejoining the NBA ranks. Perhaps her time under Popovich in San Antonio coupled with her new role in Vegas will be just what a team is looking for when another head coaching position opens up in the association. This timeline could be accelerated even further if Hammon and the Aces are able to have immediate on-court success and bring a championship banner to Sin City.
Regardless of whether it’s Hammon or one of her contemporaries currently in the NBA, the discussion surrounding female head coaches has shifted from “if” to “when” thanks in no small part to the barriers Hammon broke down. The 2022 WNBA season tips off on Friday May 6th.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner