Becky Hammon isn’t closing the door on WNBA opportunities.
The San Antonio Spurs assistant coach and former WNBA star spoke with LaChina Robinson on Wednesday at the BreakThrough Summit, revealing that recent job openings like the New York Liberty have caught her eye.
I asked @BeckyHammon about the @nyliberty head coach opening & she replied that her doors are open & don’t be surprised if she makes a return to the women’s game.
— LaChina Robinson (@LaChinaRobinson) December 15, 2021
No woman has coached as many #NBA games & played in as many #WNBA games as Becky so this perspective is invaluable. pic.twitter.com/KnCsjQpUwr
“My doors are open,” she said. “I’ve never closed the door on coming back to the women, either. To me, that’s my heart. That’s my roots. And so, I never closed the door on any opportunity.”
Hammon, who is still the Las Vegas Aces’ franchise career leader in assists (1,333), made three-pointers (498) and free throw percentage (92.1 percent), was recently named to the league’s ‘W25’ and honored by the Aces back in September. Her name has also been in the conversation for multiple NBA head coaching jobs, with many speculating that she could take over for head coach Gregg Popovich in San Antonio when he retires.
But Hammon asserted that, be it the NBA or the WNBA, she’s ready for the challenge.
“If I went back to the WNBA, don’t blink, ‘cause I don’t look at it as a step back,” she continued. “It’s a change of direction. It’s a pivot. But it’s basketball. It’s the same stuff. It’s pick and rolls. It’s defense. The basketball is pretty much the same, except for dunks.”