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Becky Hammon rises above doubters to win WNBA championship

Becky Hammon is the first coach in WNBA history to win a title in her debut season. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — It’s hard to imagine not betting on Becky Hammon.

She’s been successful at every level of basketball: As a high schooler in South Dakota, in college at Colorado State, in the WNBA, and as an NBA assistant for the Spurs.

But at every step, she was overlooked.

When it came time for college recruiting, Hammon was referred to as “small and slow.” Then, after a record-setting career at Colorado State, she went undrafted in the WNBA in 1999. She was even passed over for a spot on Team USA in 2008 after earning a multitude of WNBA accolades.

“I’m used to people not picking me,” she said. “I don’t know if you’re aware.”

Hammon has proved doubters wrong every time, and yet when she was ready to move on from being a Spurs assistant and become a head coach, the NBA made the same mistake.

For Hammon, it didn’t matter that the league she’d been successful in for eight years didn’t want her to make the next step.

She was ready and in search of the correct team. NBA or WNBA, it didn’t matter.

That team was the Aces.

“I felt they had the talent to do it, and I felt that I could build the relationships and build the culture in the right way for us to put ourselves in a position to be able to win a championship,” she said.

In her first year at the helm, Hammon did just that, leading the Las Vegas Aces to the franchise’s first WNBA championship in Connecticut on Sunday.

As A’ja Wilson grabbed the last rebound of Game 4 — a 78-71 victory over the Sun to clinch the title — Chelsea Gray turned and ran toward the Las Vegas bench.

They jumped, they screamed, they hugged.

And in the middle of the mayhem was Hammon.

After being handed a 2022 WNBA championship hat, Hammon tried numerous times to put it on, but every time there was another hug, another congratulation, another excited exchange that took precedence. She walked behind Riquna Williams, who gave her team a major lift with 17 points off the bench and five 3-pointers, including a couple of daggers to close out the win. Hammon gave Williams a playful shove and a wide smile before taking a second to put on her championship shirt.

Finally, as Gray, the Finals MVP, approached her coach, Hammon threw the hat on backwards and wrapped Gray in a bear hug.

As the team slowly settled down and commissioner Cathy Engelbert readied herself to present the trophy, Hammon pushed her hair back, detangling it from her hoop earrings, and put the hat on for good.

Officially crowning herself a champion.

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Hammon embraces 2022 WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson on the court Sunday. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

“When I took the job in December, I thought when I started kind of breaking down their rosters that I could do something with it,” Hammon said after the game, hair soaked with champagne. “I had a vision of what I wanted to do with this team. Even when it got a little rocky, we stuck to it. We hit a kind of stay-down-in-the-dirt-or-get-up moment right after All-Star. As usual, they chose to stand up. We have tremendous leadership in that locker room. We have tremendous professionals, but I’ll say it again: They are tremendous people.”

With players like Wilson, Gray and Kelsey Plum, the Aces were primed to win a title. They just needed the right coach to push them over the top.

“It’s about putting these ladies in a position to win a championship,” Hammon said. “That’s been my focus. That’s why I took the job.”

There are two things the Aces have become known for over the last few years: their exceptional play and their eccentric personalities.

Take Sunday for example. Wilson was twerking in the locker room before she and Gray took their champagne bottles to the podium. Wilson took sips between questions and joked that Aces fans needed to do shots before coming to the celebration parade — kids, she added, should do shots of ginger ale. Midway through the press conference, Plum made an appearance, dancing with a boombox on her shoulder.

The weight of the moment heightened the celebratory atmosphere, but the Aces’ reactions were not far off from their everyday personalities.

They walk the line between fun and professional at every moment, and they needed a coach who could do the same.

“There is a light-heartedness,” Sydney Colson said of Hammon. “When we are approaching games, in a series we are obviously locked in, but she allows people to be themselves. And it’s a lot of fun. She meshes well with this team. Some coaches try and make a team fit into a box, but she allows a lot of freedom.”

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(Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

From the very beginning, Hammon took great care to learn about her players. She wanted to win a championship with the Aces, and to do that, Hammon knew she needed to start by establishing connections.

The first-year head coach didn’t waste any time with that task.

Jackie Young was in Australia playing during the WNBA offseason when she got a call from Hammon.

“Before we even met in person, we had a phone call and she’s talking about being a relationship person,” Young said. “I think she’s done a great job of developing those relationships with all of her players. I really liked that about her.”

And when the Aces reported to practice for the first time, Hammon’s first impression remained true.

“She has her players’ best interest at heart,” Colson said. “She is the picture of a player’s coach.”

All the while, she was preparing the Aces for their ultimate goal. Sometimes that meant bringing a sense of humor to the locker room. Other times, it meant lighting a fire beneath her team.

Hammon did that at halftime of Game 1, after the Sun had gone on a 21-9 run to take a four-point lead at the break. And her team responded, winning 67-64.

Then, after a Game 3 defeat in Connecticut, in which Hammon said her team got out-played in every facet, the Aces coach chose to say nothing at all.

Instead, she let her team sit with the loss.

“I’ve got a ticked off crew in there,” she said, motioning to the locker room after the game. “I’m not going to have to say much.”

Once again, her team responded. This time by winning a decisive Game 4 to secure a WNBA title — another bullet point on the list of Becky Hammon’s great accomplishments.

After being overlooked and underappreciated once again, Hammon doesn’t have a message for her doubters.

She doesn’t waste time thinking about them.

“My journey is not by mistake,” she said. “Every hard thing that I’ve gone through has built something in me that I’ve needed down the road, and even though it sucks in the moment to not to be picked or to get hurt or whatever it might be, the hard stuff builds stuff in you that’s necessary for life and you’ll use it down the road.”

On Sunday, she used the hard stuff to bring Las Vegas a championship.

And for all the doubters she met along the way, there was one person who always believed in Becky Hammon.

“For me, it’s not really about proving other people wrong,” she said. “It’s about proving myself right.”

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Denver Summit FC Hires Former Manchester City Boss Nick Cushing as Head Coach

Manchester City interim manager Nick Cushing before the UEFA Women's Champions League, quarter-final, second leg match at Stamford Bridge, London.
Denver Summit coach hire Nick Cushing most recently coached WSL side Manchester City. (Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)

Denver Summit FC has a coach, tapping former Manchester City manager Nick Cushing to serve as the NWSL expansion club’s inaugural leader this week.

The hiring subsequently rounds out the team's front office build, with Denver coach Cushing joining president Jen Millet and GM Curt Johnson ahead of the team’s 2026 kick-off.

Denver is also stocking its player roster. The team signed Orland Pride star Ally Watt earlier this week, with Watt also expected to join the Summit in 2026.

"Denver Summit FC’s commitment to building a world-class soccer organization really inspired me," said Cushing in a team statement. "We have a passionate, committed fanbase and we have to put a team on the field that replicates that."

"Our team will play an attacking form of the game that excites our stadium and makes things difficult for our opponents," he continued. "We want to create a winning team as well as a great experience for all of Colorado."

Cushing most recently acted as Man City’s interim manager after the WSL side fired coach Gareth Taylor in March, returning to helm the team he coached to six major trophies from 2013-2020.

"In order to be successful right away, you need people that have experienced environments like this, have built organizations, and have had success," said Curt Johnson, Denver Summit FC general manager.

"Nick brings world-class experience, a passion for player development, and a tactical vision that will excite Summit supporters. He’s won major trophies and is the right leader to guide us into our first season and beyond."

French Cyclist Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt Wins Record-Breaking Tour de France Femmes

France cyclist Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt celebrates her 2025 Tour de France Femmes victory.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt is the first French winner of the men's or women’s Tour de France since 1985. (Szymon Gruchalski/Getty Images)

The 2025 Tour de France Femmes came in hot, as Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt crossed the finish line to become the race’s first French winner in 36 years — all in front of a record audience.

Cyclist Jeannie Longo was the most recent Frenchwoman to win the race back in 1989, though then it called the Tour de France Feminin. No French athletes has won the men's Tour de France since 1985 champion Bernard Hinault.

This year's Tour de France Femmes drew a total of 25.7 million French viewers across linear and digital platforms, up 33.6% from 2024 to make this year’s edition the most-watched in event history.

An average of 4.4 million French viewers tuned in on Sunday to see Ferrand-Prévôt clinch the yellow jersey in the final stage of the race.

After picking up a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Ferrand-Prévot also became the first woman to win the Tour and the Paris-Roubaix cycling race in the same calendar year.

"I came back on the road after my Olympic title and I said I will try to win the Tour de France in the next three years," said Ferrand-Prevot after Sunday's finish.

"My teammates worked super hard for me all week long. I just want to say thank you and congrats to them, to my entire team."

The Tour de France Femmes was resurrected in 2022 after a 33-year suspension, with interest in the women’s cycling event soaring ever since.

WNBA Teams Shake Up Rosters as Midseason Trade Deadline Looms

Washington Mystics star Brittney Sykes plays defense during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Washington Mystics traded leading scorer Brittney Sykes to the Seattle Storm on Wednesday. (Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images)

The clock is ticking down toward the WNBA trade deadline, as teams around the league evaluate their rosters and make midseason moves ahead of Thursday's 3 PM ET final whistle.

The No. 10 Washington Mystics made the most recent transactional splash, sending leading scorer Brittney Sykes to the No. 6 Seattle Storm on Tuesday.

In return, Washington received forward Alysha Clark, guard Zia Cooke, and a 2026 first-round draft pick — though the Mystics immediately waived Cooke as well as center Sika Koné.

Teams now have a little more than 24 hours to decide if they’re stocking up for the postseason or punting this year's potential to shore up future prospects.

Though the WNBA trade deadline has historically been less dramatic than other leagues thanks to hard salary caps and roster limitations, ramped-up expansion and the promise of a new CBA appear to be greasing the wheels this year.

While not every title contender has roster room to spare, teams in line for the lottery will likely look to clean house this week.

To that end, Washington may still be dealing: 2024 No. 6 overall draft pick Aaliyah Edwards played just seven minutes for the Mystics in their 78-64 loss to the No. 11 Chicago Sky on Tuesday, sparking rumors of another potential big trade.

As for the last-place Connecticut Sun, guard Marina Mabrey could serve as a last-minute asset after the team initially denied Mabrey's offseason trade request.

Las Vegas Aces Fight For Consistency Ahead of Golden State Clash

Las Vegas stars A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kierstan Bell, and Jackie Young celebrate during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Las Vegas Aces sit at No. 7 in the WNBA standings despite A'ja Wilson averaging 21.3 points per game. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

Wednesday night's WNBA action pits the No. 7 Las Vegas Aces against the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries — two teams locked in an unexpected dead heat as midseason momentum continues to narrow the WNBA standings.

Separated by just half a game, the Aces will take on the host Valkyries in a rematch of Sunday's 101-71 blowout win for Las Vegas.

Despite 2024 WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's top-tier league stats, the 2023 champs have struggled to find consistency this season — exemplified by Saturday's 53-point loss to the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx.

"One thing I did do is send a message to them, and just say if you weren't embarrassed from [the Lynx loss], then don't come into this gym," Wilson said in response. "It's not always going to be just the stars — it's going to take all of us."

On the other side, new WNBA addition Golden State still has a serious shot at becoming the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their debut year, and they'll look to come back swinging after Sunday's lopsided loss.

Downing the Aces isn't a foreign concept for the 2025 debutants, who blasted Las Vegas 95-68 in June.

Golden State's not-so-secret weapon could make a difference in this rematch, as the Valkyries home crowd will try to make "Ballhalla" as rowdy as possible for the visiting Aces.

How to watch Las Vegas vs. Golden State on Wednesday

The No. 7 Aces will tip off against the No. 8 Valkyries at 10 PM ET on Wednesday, with live coverage airing on NBA TV.

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