The New York Liberty of the Women’s National Basketball Association inducted Rapid City native and former WNBA player Becky Hammon into their ring of honor over the weekend.
Hammon played for the New York Liberty from 1999-2006. She went undrafted during the 1999 draft, but was signed by the Liberty shortly afterwards. Hammon is one of the best female professional basketball players of all-time, as she’s a six time WNBA All-Star (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2011). Three of her all-star appearances came during her stint with the New York Liberty.
Along with being a great player, Hammon is now starting a new legacy – coaching. In 2014 the San Antonio Spurs brought Hammon onto their coaching staff, making her the first full-time female coach in NBA history.
Just this summer, Hammon was given the opportunity to head coach the Spurs summer league team. She would not disappoint as the Spurs won the 2015 Las Vegas Summer League championship.
Most sports experts and analysts predict she’ll become the first female head coach in NBA history. This kind of opportunity would also make Hammon the first female head coach of the big four professional sports (NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA).
