San Antonio Spurs’ assistant coach and former WNBA player Becky Hammon became took over as head coach of the Spurs Wednesday evening. This makes her the first woman to coach a U.S. men’s professional sports team.
Hammon was propelled into this role when Gregg Popovich received two technical fouls during the second quarter of the Spurs vs Lakers game after arguing with referees over a no-call.
“Pop officially pointed at me, and said, ‘you got em.’” Hammon told reporters as she learned of her new duties at head coach following his ejection.
When asked about what this moment means for her career, Hammon replied: “It’s a big deal…it’s a substantial moment. I say this a lot but I try not to think about the huge picture and huge aspect of it because it can get overwhelming.”
And of course, it was a huge deal. This morning, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris tweeted out,
The Vice President-Elect has made her own women’s history as well- becoming the highest-ranking woman ever in the U.S. government.
Becky Hammon played for 16 years in the WNBA and was an all-star. In 2007, she was traded to the San Antonio Silver Stars. When she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, her WNBA playing days ended. However, she began a coaching internship with the San Antonio Spurs while in rehabilitation. In 2014, the Spurs’ head coach hired her as the first female full-time assistant head coach in the league.
Since her duties as an assistant coach and being a trailblazer, it has been long speculated that Hammon will one day serve as a head coach in the NBA. Gregg Popovich has vouched for her coaching abilities as well, stating, “She’s got all of the tools necessary to be a heck of a coach in our league.”
Although the San Antonio Spurs ended up losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 121-107 and Hammon would have “loved to have walked out there with a win with the guys.”, yesterday marked the dawn of a new era for the NBA. Seeing women breaking barriers in male-dominated industries can inspire young women for generations to come.
