Rebecca Lynn Hammon (Russian: Ребекка Линн Хэммон; born March 11, 1977) is a Russian-American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

coach and former player who is the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces of the

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. The league comprises 13 teams (scheduled to expand to 15 in 2026). The WNBA is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan. The WNBA w ...

(WNBA). She previously served as an assistant coach for the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). A three-time All-American basketball player for the Colorado State Rams, Hammon went on to play for the San Antonio Stars and New York Liberty of the

(WNBA) and for several other teams outside the United States. Hammon was born and raised in the United States, but she became a

naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...

Russian citizen in 2008 and represented the Russian national team in the

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

and 2012 Olympics. Hammon was hired by the

as an assistant coach in 2014. Hammon served as the team's Summer League head coach in 2015; she is the first Russian and the first woman to be a head coach in the Summer League.Becky Hammon to be first female head coach in summer league
Espn.go.com (July 3, 2015). Retrieved on 2016-05-20. On December 30, 2020, Hammon became the first Russian and the first female acting head coach in NBA history after Spurs head coach

Gregg Popovich Gregg Charles Popovich (born January 28, 1949) is an American professional basketball executive and former coach who is the president for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the List of current NBA head co ...

was ejected during a game against the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

. A year later in December 2021, she was hired by the Las Vegas Aces to be their head coach. Hammon previously played for the Aces from 2007 to 2014 when the team played in San Antonio and was known as the Stars, and has her number retired by the organization. On August 12, 2023, Hammon was inducted into the

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...

Early life and education

Hammon was born in

Rapid City, South Dakota Rapid City is the county seat of Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. It is located on the eastern slope of the Black Hills in western South Dakota and was named after Rapid Creek (South Dakota), Rapid Creek, where the settlement deve ...

. Hammon learned to dribble a basketball at a very young age, playing Nerf ball with her older brother and father, and continued to hone her skills on her home court. She was raised as a devout Christian. Hammon played basketball at Stevens High School in her hometown of

. As a junior, she was named South Dakota Miss Basketball. As a senior, she was voted the South Dakota Player of the Year after averaging 26 points, 4 rebounds and 5 steals per game. She graduated in 1995, and also was voted female class athlete by her graduating class. Despite the accolades, she drew little attention from college basketball recruiters, who considered her too small and too slow. She eventually grabbed the attention of a Colorado State assistant coach, and she committed to the Rams.

College career

Hammon's prolific scoring for the Colorado State Rams made her an

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n three times, as well as Colorado Sportswoman of the Year. She led her team to a 33–3 record in the 1998–99 season and helped them advance to the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

Tournament's Sweet Sixteen. She was named the WAC Mountain Division player of the year for the 1998–99 season and surpassed

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

player Keith Van Horn as the WAC's all-time leading score

Hammon set many Colorado State all-time records, including points (2740), points per game (21.92), field goals made (918), free throws made (539), three-point field goals made (365) and assists (538). She received the

Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award The Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award was an annual college basketball award in the United States intended to honor players who excelled on the court in spite of their height. The award, named in honor of James Naismith's daughter-in-law, was establi ...

from the

Women's Basketball Coaches Association The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is an association of coaches of women's basketball teams at all levels. The organization was formed in 1981, with the goal of addressing the needs of women's basketball coaches. The mission of the WBC ...

as the best senior player under 5 ft 8 in (1.7 m) in 1999. On November 12, 2004, Hammon was inducted into the Colorado State University Sports Hall of Fame. On January 22, 2005, her number 25 Colorado State jersey was retired at Moby Arena.

Professional playing career

Undrafted during her rookie season, Hammon was signed to the WNBA on May 12, 1999, and joined the New York Liberty. She had a solid rookie season statistically, backing up starting

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...

Teresa Weatherspoon. Her aggressive play at both ends of the court made her a favorite among Liberty fans. After the 2003 season, Hammon took over for Weatherspoon as the Liberty's starting point guard and, with Vickie Johnson and Crystal Robinson, became one of the team's co-captains in 2004. In 2003, her first season with the Tennessee Fury of the

National Women's Basketball League The National Women's Basketball League, often abbreviated to the NWBL, was an organization governing professional basketball leagues for women in the United States. The league was founded in 1997 and began play in the Fall of that year. The leagu ...

(NWBL), Hammon led the league in scoring, averaging 20.6 points per game. In 2004, Hammon signed with the Colorado Chill, a new team in the NWBL, but played in only two games because of an anterior cruciate ligament injury in her right knee sustained in the 2003 season when playing for the Liberty. On August 16, 2005, Hammon scored her 2,000th WNBA career point. At the end of the 2005 season, she was named to the All-WNBA Second Team. In January 2007, she played her WNBA "off season" with Rivas Futura in the Spanish League. On April 4, 2007, Hammon was traded to the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars. Hammon posted career high averages of 18.8 ppg (fourth best) and 5.0 apg in 2007. She led the league in assists that year. While in San Antonio, Hammon earned the nickname "Big Shot Becky" because of her ability to make shots in important moments. Her nickname was derived from "Big Shot Bob", a nickname given to

forward Robert Horry. Becky Hammon at 2 August 2015 game cropped

In 2008, Hammon averaged 17.6 ppg, and 4.9 apg as she led the Silver Stars to a WNBA best record 24–10 and led them into the playoffs for a second straight year. In the conference semi-finals, Hammon scored 30 points in a Game 1 win against the Sacramento Monarchs. San Antonio would eventually win the series and advance to the Western Conference Finals. Following a loss in Game 1 and a win in Game 2, Hammon's 35 points propelled the Silver Stars to a victory in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Sparks. The Silver Stars advanced to the 2008 WNBA Finals, where they were defeated by the Detroit Shock 3–0. Hammon averaged a career-high 19.5 ppg and 5.0 apg in the 2009 WNBA season. The Silver Stars had a record of 15–19 and lost to the eventual champion Phoenix Mercury in the first round. Hammon was an All-Star as well as a first-team All-WNBA selection. On August 31, 2011, Hammon became the seventh player in WNBA history to score 5,000 points. Later in the year, Hammon scored 37 points in a playoff-clinching win against the Los Angeles Sparks. Hammon retired from the WNBA in 2014. She is a six-time WNBA All-Star. On August 2, 2015, Hammon was inducted into the Ring of Honor during halftime of the game between the New York Liberty and the Seattle Storm. The Ring of Honor recognizes players who have "made the most significant contributions to the Liberty's tradition of excellence and to the growth of the WNBA." Previous inductees include Vickie Johnson, Teresa Weatherspoon,

Rebecca Lobo Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin (born October 6, 1973) is an American television basketball analyst and former professional women's basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 to 2003. Lobo, at 6'4", played the cent ...

, Sue Wicks, and Kym Hampton. On June 25, 2016, the San Antonio Stars retired Hammon's No. 25 jersey prior to the Atlanta Dream game.

Coaching career

Hammon had long expressed aspirations of becoming a coach after her playing career ended. On July 13, 2013, Hammon tore her left

anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation. In ...

in a game against the

Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Crypto.co ...

. During her year-long rehabilitation, Hammon attended the NBA's

' practices, coaches' meetings, and games, where she was frequently invited to contribute opinions.

San Antonio Spurs (2014–2021)

On August 5, 2014, Hammon was hired as an assistant coach for the Spurs, becoming the first Russian NBA coach in NBA history, as well as the second female coach,Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst
"Becky Hammon Hired to Spurs' Staff"
ESPN.com, August 5, 2014. after Lisa Boyer worked as a volunteer assistant with the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

and John Lucas in 2001. Hammon's contribution to the staff made an impression on head coach

. In a media statement released at the time of the hiring announcement, Popovich stated: "I very much look forward to the addition of Becky Hammon to our staff. Having observed her working with our team this past season, I'm confident her basketball IQ, work ethic, and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs." Hammon has also earned the respect of many NBA players throughout the league. One of basketball's most prolific scorers, Pau Gasol wrote an open letter about female coaches with an emphasis on Hammon; he said, "I've played with some of the best players of this generation … and I've played under two of the sharpest minds in the history of sports, in Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich. And I'm telling you: Becky Hammon can coach. I'm not saying she can coach pretty well. I'm not saying she can coach enough to get by. I'm not saying she can coach almost at the level of the NBA's coaches. I'm saying: Becky Hammon can coach NBA basketball. Period." Hammon has been inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and has been selected as ESPNW's Woman of the Year. On July 3, 2015, Hammon became the first Russian and the first female head coach in the NBA's Summer League when the Spurs announced she would coach their summer league team. Hammon led the Spurs to the Las Vegas Summer League title on July 20, 2015, becoming the first Russian and first female NBA head coach to win a Summer League title. At the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, Hammon became the first Russian and first woman to be part of an All-Star coaching staff. On June 2, 2017, Hammon was interviewed for the position of general manager of the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

; she was not considered as a finalist for the position. During her seventh season with the

, on December 30, 2020,

was ejected in the second quarter of the Spurs' 121–107 loss to the

, and Hammon became the first Russian and first female acting head coach in NBA history. In 2021, Hammon was the first Russian and first woman to be a finalist for an NBA head coaching position when she interviewed with the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

. The job went to Chauncey Billups.

Las Vegas Aces (2021–present)

Hammon was hired as the head coach for the Las Vegas Aces on December 31, 2021, becoming the first Russian coach in WNBA history. In her first year as head coach, Hammon's Aces won the 2022 WNBA Finals and she became the first rookie head coach to win the WNBA title. The following season, the Las Vegas Aces repeated as 2023 WNBA champions, with Hammon becoming the first coach to win back-to-back WNBA titles in 20 years. On August 12, 2023, Hammon was inducted into the

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

for her contributions as a player and coach.

Career statistics

WNBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 30 , , 1 , , 6.7 , , .422 , , .289 , , .882 , , .6 , , .6 , , .2 , , .0 , , .8 , , 2.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 32 , , 16 , , 26.1 , , .472 , , .369 , , .884 , , 2.0 , , 1.8 , , .9 , , .0 , , 1.9 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 32 , , 0 , , 19.3 , , .457 , , .378 , , .784 , , 1.6 , , 1.6 , , .8 , , .0 , , 1.5 , , 8.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 32 , , 1 , , 20.6 , , .442 , , .386 , , .679 , , 2.1 , , 1.7 , , .8 , , .0 , , 1.7 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 11 , , 2 , , 23.4 , , .575 , , style="background:#D3D3D3;", .469° , , style="background:#D3D3D3;", .951° , , 1.9 , , 1.6 , , .9 , , .1 , , 2.4 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 34 , , 34 , , 33.2 , , .432 , , .335 , , .836 , , 3.5 , , 4.4 , , 1.7 , , .1 , , 3.4 , , 13.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 34 , , 34 , , 34.7 , , .432 , , .365 , , style="background:#D3D3D3;", .901° , , 3.4 , , 4.3 , , 1.8 , , .1 , , 3.1 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 22 , , 20 , , 30.8 , , .425 , , .343 , , style="background:#D3D3D3;", .960° , , 3.0 , , 3.7 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 2.9 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

, style="text-align:left;",

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

, 28 , , 26 , , 33.4 , , .445 , , .404 , , style="background:#D3D3D3;", .931° , , 2.8 , , style="background:#D3D3D3;", 5.0° , , .8 , , .2 , , 4.0 , , 18.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 33 , , 33.4 , , .390 , , .350 , , .937 , , 2.8 , , 4.9 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , 3.1 , , 17.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 31 , , 31 , , 33.8 , , .447 , , .369 , , .901 , , 3.3 , , 5.0 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , 3.5 , , 19.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 32 , , 33.6 , , .442 , , .390 , , style="background:#D3D3D3;", .960° , , 2.9 , , 5.4 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 3.3 , , 15.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 33 , , 31.8 , , .440 , , .389 , , .892 , , 2.9 , , 5.8 , , 1.5 , , .2 , , 3.6 , , 15.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 33 , , 30.2 , , .441 , , .435 , , .876 , , 2.5 , , 5.3 , , .9 , , .2 , , 3.2 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 1 , , 1 , , 12.0 , , .333 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 3.0 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 32 , , 24.5 , , .417 , , .398 , , style="background:#E0CEF2;", 1.000 , , 1.4 , , 4.2 , , .4 , , .1 , , 1.6 , , 9.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 450 , , 329 , , 27.9 , , .438 , , .378 , , .897 , , 2.5 , , 3.8 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , 2.7 , , 13.9

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 6 , , 0 , , 8.3 , , .167 , , .222 , , 1.000 , , .2 , , .8 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.0 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 7 , , 7 , , 29.4 , , .429 , , .304 , , .895 , , 1.4 , , 2.1 , , 1.3 , , .0 , , 2.4 , , 9.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 6 , , 0 , , 8.0 , , .353 , , .300 , , .000 , , .5 , , .3 , , .2 , , .0 , , .5 , , 2.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 8 , , 0 , , 22.9 , , .537 , , .424 , , .875 , , 2.1 , , 2.0 , , .6 , , .0 , , 1.3 , , 9.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 5 , , 5 , , 35.6 , , .392 , , .333 , , .400 , , 2.6 , , 3.4 , , 1.2 , , .0 , , 3.8 , , 10.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 2 , , 2 , , 38.0 , , .450 , , .286 , , 1.000 , , 3.5 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 5.0 , , 11.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 35.0 , , .413 , , .444 , , .800 , , 2.8 , , 5.0 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 3.2 , , 20.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 9 , , 9 , , 36.8 , , .421 , , .458 , , .895 , , 2.3 , , 4.6 , , 1.0 , , 0.6 , , 3.4 , , 18.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 3 , , 33.7 , , .463 , , .381 , , .900 , , 2.7 , , 2.0 , , 1.7 , , .0 , , 2.3 , , 18.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , 2 , , 37.0 , , .393 , , .389 , , 1.000 , , 3.5 , , 5.5 , , .5 , , .0 , , 4.0 , , 20.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 3 , , 34.7 , , .350 , , .391 , , .857 , , 2.7 , , 4.3 , , 1.7 , , .7 , , 3.0 , , 16.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , 2 , , 35.0 , , .500 , , .364 , , 1.000 , , 3.0 , , 4.5 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 3.5 , , 17.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , 2 , , 28.5 , , .526 , , .500 , , 1.000 , , 3.5 , , 4.5 , , 1.5 , , .0 , , 2.5 , , 14.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 60 , , 40 , , 27.5 , , .426 , , .390 , , .889 , , 2.0 , , 2.9 , , .9 , , .1 , , 2.4 , , 12.0

College

, - , style="text-align:left;" , 1995–96 , style="text-align:left;" , Colorado State , 31, , -, , -, , 47.2, , 42.7, , 80.9, , 3.1, , 3.3, , 2.3, , 0.1, , -, , 19.2 , - , style="text-align:left;" , 1996–97 , style="text-align:left;" , Colorado State , 28, , -, , -, , 46.0, , 39.7, , 77.6, , 4.0, , 3.6, , 1.7, , 0.1, , -, , 22.1 , - , style="text-align:left;" , 1997–98 , style="text-align:left;" , Colorado State , 30, , -, , -, , 50.9, , 40.2, , 88.6, , 3.9, , 4.4, , 3.3, , 0.1, , -, , 23.5 , - , style="text-align:left;" , 1998–99 , style="text-align:left;" , Colorado State , 36, , -, , -, , 49.6, , 41.6, , 86.2, , 3.8, , 4.8, , 2.7, , 0.1, , -, , 22.9 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2 , Career , 125, , -, , -, , 48.5, , 41.1, , 84.1, , 3.7, , 4.1, , 2.5, , 0.1, , -, , 21.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="14", Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference.

Head coaching record

, -style="background:#FDE910;" , style="text-align:left;" ,

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, style="text-align:left;" ,

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

, 36 , , 26 , , 10 , , , , style="text-align:center;" , 1st in Western , , 10 , , 8 , , 2 , , , style="text-align:center;", Won WNBA Championship , -style="background:#FDE910;" , style="text-align:left;" ,

, style="text-align:left;" ,

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, 40 , , 34 , , 6 , , , , style="text-align:center;" , 1st in Western , , 9 , , 8 , , 1 , , , style="text-align:center;", Won WNBA Championship , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" , , 40 , , 27 , , 13 , , , , 2nd in Western , , 6 , , 3 , , 3 , , , style="text-align:center;", Lost in

Second Round The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of Un ...

, - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 116 , , 87 , , 29 , , , , , , 25 , , 19 , , 6 , ,

National team career

United States

Hammon was named to the team representing the United States at the 1998

William Jones Cup The William Jones Cup International Basketball Tournament (), also known as the William Jones Cup, is an international basketball tournament organized by the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association (CTBA) held annually since 1977 in sports, 1977 ...

competition in

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

. The U.S. team, coached by Nell Fortner, won all five games, earning the gold medal for the competition. Hammon scored 18 points over the five games."1998 Women's R. William Jones Cup,"
USA Basketball, August 3, 2014.

Russia

In 2008, after learning that she would not be invited to try out for the U.S. national team, Hammon announced she would try to claim a roster slot on the Russian national team in the 2008 Olympics in

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

. Hammon became a Russian citizen in 2008, a decision that was controversial at the time among American basketball commentators. The coach of Russia's team, Igor Grudin, was also the sports director of the CSKA team that Hammon played for in Moscow during the WNBA off-season. Hammon also signed a three-year extension with CSKA Moscow at around the same time she was named as a prospect for the national team. Hammon shot 1-for-6 from the field in a 67–52 loss to the United States in the 2008 Olympic semifinals, but helped the Russian team to win the bronze medal by scoring 22 points against China. She played for Russia at EuroBasket 2009, the 2010 World Championship and the 2012 Olympics. In response to the detention of Brittney Griner in Russia due to alleged drug possession in 2022, Hammon joined other athletes to call for the release of Griner.

Popular culture

Hammon was shown in ''Marie Claire'' magazine's "The 8 Greatest Moments for Women in Sports".

Personal life

Hammon has been in a relationship with Brenda Milano since 2015. They have two sons. Hammon is also a noted poker player in the WNBA off-season. In December 2023 she attended the inaugural World Series of Poker Paradise event, where her first tournament was the $5 million guaranteed $1,650 Mystery Millions.

Controversies

Russian national team controversy

Hammon's decision to gain naturalized Russian citizenship in order to play for the Russian national team in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics was controversial in American basketball. In some circles she was branded an American traitor, with then-U.S. national coach

Anne Donovan Anne Theresa Donovan (November 1, 1961 – June 13, 2018) was an American women's basketball player and coach. From 2013 to 2015, she was the head coach of the Connecticut Sun. In her playing career, Donovan won a national championship with Ol ...

questioning her patriotism. "If you play in this country, live in this country, and you grow up in the heartland and you put on a Russian uniform, you are not a patriotic person in my mind," Donovan said. Hammon responded to Donovan's criticism saying, "You don't know me. You don't know what that flag means to me. You don't know how I grew up. The biggest honor in our classroom was who could put up the (American) flag, roll it up right, not let the corners touch the ground. Obviously we definitely define patriotism differently." She has also stated. "I love my country. I love our national anthem. It absolutely gives me chills sometimes. I feel honored to be an American, to be from America because of what we stand for." Hammon said she played for Russia primarily to play on the Olympic stage, and it was not a purely financial decision. However, by obtaining Russian citizenship, her salary with CSKA tripled, and she was eligible to make $250,000 for winning a gold medal for Russia from the government. She would have received a $150,000 bonus for winning a silver medal. Since then, Anne Donovan changed her position, stating "I don't know that I have any strong thoughts on ecky Hammon joining the Russian national teamanymore. Even at the time. I've known marathon runners in particular that I've watched over the years have represented other countries. I've watched other athletes do it." She also said:

The thing that took me off guard with Becky was that it hasn't happened in women's basketball before. And again, the that: that we didn't ask her to participate, that we didn't ask her to try out for our team, that's really what I had the most issue with. Becky made a great business decision and this was a great opportunity for her to get to the Olympic Games. I hold no grudge and more power to her. But the it when it first came out were not accurate. Becky came, had a great experience; I'm glad we're going to the gold medal game.

Discrimination and mistreatment allegations

In May 2023, Becky Hammon received a two-game suspension from the WNBA for violating the league's 'respect in the workplace' policies in her treatment of former Aces player Dearica Hamby. This suspension was the result of a multi-month investigation into Hamby's allegations of discrimination and mistreatment at the hands of Hammon and the Aces after informing them of her pregnancy in August 2022, a pregnancy she alleges is also what led to the team trading her to

in January 2023. The WNBA's investigation included interviews with 33 people, in addition to a review of documents including texts and emails, and further resulted in the Aces losing their first round 2025 draft pick. In September 2023, Hamby filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) after criticizing the WNBA's investigation for failing to speak with other Aces players and for not dispensing adequate punishment to Hammon or the team. The EEOC granted Hamby a "Notice of the Right to Sue" on May 23 2024. On August 12 2024 Dearica Hamby filed
federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court
against the WNBA and the Las Vegas Aces. In the lawsuit, Hamby alleges that Hammon questioned her commitment and dedication to the Aces; asked if Hamby's pregnancy was planned; and told Hamby that she was a "question mark" on the team as the Aces "needed bodies" and she would not be ready to play in time for the start of the 2024 season. It further alleges Hammon told Hamby that she did not "hold up her end of the bargain," implying that Hamby had implicitly agreed not to get pregnant when she signed her two-year contract extension. Becky Hammon has strongly denied the allegations, stating in a post-game press conference after the federal lawsuit was filed:

"Here's some facts: I've been in either the WNBA or the NBA for now 25 years. I've never had an HR complaint. Never, not once. I still didn't, actually, because Dearica didn't file any. She didn't file with the players' union, she didn't file with the WNBA. Those are facts. It's also factual that nobody made a call about trading her until Atlanta called us in January 023 That's a fact. So...it just didn't happen. I'm sorry, the bullying? I spoke with her every day. If she wanted to practice, she practiced. If she didn't, she didn't. Over-the-top care, actually. Over-the-top care."

The lawsuit is currently ongoing.

References

External links

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hammon, Becky 1977 births Living people All-American college women's basketball players Russian women's basketball players American women's basketball players American Christians American emigrants to Russia American women's basketball coaches American lesbian sportswomen Basketball coaches from South Dakota Basketball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Basketball players from South Dakota Basketball players with retired numbers Colorado State Rams women's basketball players Las Vegas Aces coaches LGBTQ basketball players LGBTQ people from South Dakota Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Naturalised basketball players Naturalized citizens of Russia New York Liberty players Olympic basketball players for Russia Olympic bronze medalists for Russia Olympic medalists in basketball Point guards Russian basketball coaches Russian Christians Russian people of American descent San Antonio Spurs assistant coaches San Antonio Stars players Sportspeople from Rapid City, South Dakota Undrafted Women's National Basketball Association players WNBA All-Stars Women's National Basketball Association championship–winning head coaches 21st-century American sportswomen National Women's Basketball League players

Early life and education

College career

Professional playing career

Coaching career

San Antonio Spurs (2014–2021)

Las Vegas Aces (2021–present)

Career statistics

WNBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

Head coaching record

National team career

United States

Russia

Popular culture

Personal life

Controversies

Russian national team controversy

Discrimination and mistreatment allegations

See also

References

External links