Becky Hammon is closing in on a landmark deal to become the next head coach of the Las Vegas Aces, sources told The Athletic. Hammon’s deal will be a record-setting contract for a WNBA head coach, sources said.
Hammon, an assistant with the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, made the decision after being pursued by the Aces and New York Liberty, returning to the WNBA seven years after retiring from the league. Current coach Bill Laimbeer plans to step aside for this move.
Hammon spent 16 seasons in the WNBA, the first eight with the New York Liberty and the second eight with the San Antonio Stars. She retired in 2014 as a six-time WNBA All-Star. Her jersey was retired by the Stars in 2016 and the Aces in 2021. In 2015, she was honored as a member of the Liberty’s “Ring of Honor” alongside other former Liberty players who made significant contributions to the franchise.
Following retirement, Hammon took a job as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, becoming the first full-time female assistant coach in the NBA. Hammon has served as an interim and acting head coach in Gregg Popovich’s absence and has interviewed for head coaching jobs over the past two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic and Portland Trail Blazers.
The move is particularly surprising not only because many thought it would be nearly impossible to pull Hammon away from the NBA, but also because there were two coaching openings in the WNBA this offseason — and the Aces weren’t one of them.
With the Liberty and Phoenix Mercury searching for head coaches, Las Vegas wasn’t expected to be a part of the offseason coaching carousel. But Hammon was the only coach for whom any coaching changes would be made in Vegas. Sources say Laimbeer — who led the team to a 77-45 record over the last four seasons — could potentially take a front office or advisory role with the franchise.
With the Aces, Hammon steps into a unique situation fewer than 48 hours before free agency is set to begin for the league. At 12:01 a.m. Saturday, teams can begin solidifying their 2022 rosters with core and qualifying offers going out to free agents.
Las Vegas has three players under contract heading into 2022: Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby (with Plum and Hamby combining for the last three Sixth Player of the Year awards). But A’ja Wilson, the 2020 WNBA regular-season MVP around whom the team has been structured, will be a restricted free agent. The Aces undoubtedly will match any offer she receives to keep her.
Hammon and her front office also have decisions that need to be made with Liz Cambage and Angel McCoughtry, who are both free agents. The Aces also need to decide which free agents — of which there are many available this offseason — they want to pursue. Much of those decisions could center on how Hammon wants to build the team. Laimbeer won in the league with a rather counter-cultural scheme with Las Vegas attempting the fewest 3-pointers in every season since 2018 while getting to the free throw line more than almost any team.
(Photo: Ronald Cortes / Getty Images)
