UNCASVILLE, Connecticut — The Las Vegas Aces had pulled within 40 minutes of their first WNBA championship. It was a Finals-opening home sweep in Vegas, but when their first-year head coach answered her final question of the night, the energy drop was instantaneous.
. Once seemingly destined for an NBA head coach position after assisting legendary San Antonio Spurs leader Gregg Popovich for nearly a decade, Hammon grew restless.
The Aces had the pieces under former two-time Executive of the Year Dan Padover and retired head coach Bill Laimbeer, who focused more on feeding the post than even bothering a thought of 3-pointers. They built a core that will stick around for 2023, as scary as that is for other franchises to dwell on, and Hammon turned them from starcrossed postseason attendees to champions.
“It’s about putting these ladies in a position to win a championship,” Hammon said after Game 2 to answer the same question about the NBA snub. “That’s been my focus. That’s why I took the job. 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.”
Still, no WNBA team took her in the 1999 draft and she joined the New York Liberty on a training camp contract. Nearly 25 years later, she’s a staple on lists of best WNBA players and remains sixth in career assists, 15th in points, fourth in 3-pointers and third in free-throw percentage over a 16-year career. Check that off the “told-you-so” list.
Hammon’s offensive philosophy could fit on a wooden desk sign from the Dollar Spot at Target. As she’s repeated multiple times throughout the season: “If you’re open you shoot it. If you’re not, pass it. It’s very simple.” “The conversations that we’ve had that are so real, that’s so true, that’s so clean-cut is something that I need,” Wilson said. “I’m not a player where I’m like — don’t sugarcoat s*** to me. I’m not about it. I don’t fall for that. I see straight through it, I don’t listen to it and I move on. But when it comes to Becky she lets me know straight-up.”
“She’s spot-on of what we [need],” Gray told Yahoo Sports. “Do we need a good cuss-out, do we need to be left alone, do we need to just be encouraged at that moment? And her feel for that has helped me as a leader in how to react in certain moments as well.” “I think the biggest thing is how to challenge a group of women to be better,” she said. “How to challenge them in different ways [and] in different moments.”
Rookie Kierstan Bell described Gray as an extension of Hammon. Gray will often take the clipboard and draw up plays, something Gray said stems from a freedom and confidence Hammon has in her. “I wasn’t sure quite how to take them at the beginning,” Hammon said. “They always seem super loose [and] I don’t know if I like this or not. But it’s kind of been their thing so I kind of just let them go.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Las Vegas Aces win first WNBA title, Chelsea Gray named MVPIn her first season as head coach, former Spurs assistant Becky Hammon guides the Las Vegas Aces to the WNBA title.
Read more »
WNBA Finals 2022: Full recap of Las Vegas Aces' Game 1 win over the Connecticut Sun behind A'ja Wilson's big gameThe 2022 WNBA Finals began Sunday as the No. 1-seeded Las Vegas Aces host the No. 3 Connecticut Sun at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. The Finals is a best-of-five series with Games 1-2 in Las Vegas, Game 3 in Connecticut and if necessary, Game 4 in Connecticut and Game 5 in Las Vegas.
Read more »
Las Vegas Aces defeat Connecticut Sun to capture first WNBA titleThe Las Vegas Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun 78-71 in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals to capture the first title in franchise history on Sunday.
Read more »
WNBA Finals: How to watch Aces-Sun Game 4 as Las Vegas aims for title, Connecticut tries to force Game 5The 2022 WNBA Finals continue with a must-win game for the No. 3-seeded Connecticut Sun against the No. 1 Las Vegas Aces on Sunday (4 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Aces lead 2-1. The Finals is a best-of-five series, and if necessary, Game 5 will be in Las Vegas.
Read more »
Coming up Aces! Las Vegas beats Connecticut Sun to win first WNBA championshpThe Las Vegas Aces beat the Connecticut Sun to win their first WNBA championship -- under first-year head coach Becky Hammon and Raiders owner Mark Davis. Aces also sweep regular-season and Finals MVP awards. WNBAFinals
Read more »
Las Vegas Aces win first WNBA title, Chelsea Gray named MVPUNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Chelsea Gray scored 20 points to lead the Las Vegas Aces to their first WNBA title in a 78-71 road win over the Connecticut Sun in Game 4 on Sunday. Gray went 9 of 13 from the floor, and was named MVP after averaging 18 points over the run.
Read more »