Becky Hammon will leave San Antonio after this season to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA (formerly her old club, the San Antonio Silver Stars). The announcement was made late on Dec. 30, with the Spurs facing a back-to-back on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, so it was hard to focus on the ramifications of a really important development. Now, she’s had the time to address it.
Normally this wouldn’t be big news, but Hammon is not just another assistant coach for the Spurs or the NBA in general. She was the longest tenured member of the staff in San Antonio and was seen as the potential successor of Gregg Popovich, and many expected her to be the first female head coach in the league.