Becky Hammon took a big chance recently. After spending eight years as an assistant coach with the Spurs, she decided to get to the next level, accepting a head coaching position with the Las Vegas Aces.
To say that the risk paid off for her would be an understatement, as she was named Coach of the Year and has led her team to the WNBA Finals.
In hindsight, it seems like Hammon’s success was almost predestined, but the move came with plenty of scrutiny at the time. Hammon had interviewed with several NBA teams but even she at times felt like they never seriously considered her, and with Gregg Popovich still coaching, her path to the big chair was blocked.