Becky Hammon Reveals What Was 'Most Special' About 1st Win as Aces HC in WNBA

Becky Hammon's WNBA head coaching debut couldn't have gone much better as the Las Vegas Aces earned a 106-88 road win over the Phoenix Mercury on Friday.

After the game, Hammon spoke with reporters about the "most special thing" regarding the matchup (h/t ESPN.com's Mechelle Voepel):

"What made it really cool for me is I could feel their energy for me. I could feel how bad they wanted it for me. So that was probably the most special thing about it. They know there's a spotlight, and eventually, I've gotta move out of it and they've gotta move into it. It's about them. They're the ones getting stops and buckets out there. I'm just there to help them."

Hammon is in the spotlight this season for numerous reasons.

For starters, the ex-point guard is one of the WNBA's greatest all-time players after a career that included placement on the league's 25th Anniversary team, six All-Star appearances and four All-WNBA team nods.

Hammon was also the San Antonio Spurs' assistant head coach from 2014 to 2022. She was the Spurs' head coach for their 2015 Summer League title and served as an assistant coach during the 2016 All-Star Game.

Hammon also became the Spurs' acting head coach after Gregg Popovich was ejected in a Dec. 30, 2020, matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.

She interviewed for the Portland Trail Blazers' and Orlando Magic's open head coaching positions last summer, but the jobs went to Chauncey Billups and Jamahl Mosley, respectively.

Ultimately, Hammon decided the time was now to run her own team, and she made the leap back to the WNBA to run the Aces.

"My heart was saying it was time to go. This is where I am supposed to be right now," she told The Associated Press in January. "There were a lot of sleepless nights getting to this conclusion."

She added: "Las Vegas sees me as a head coach now. The WNBA has called every year with job openings. ... I’ve always said thank you I’m very flattered, but stayed on this path. This was first time where I was like, 'I’ll listen.'"

On Friday, the spotlight was on the players too.

The Aces incurred a big loss this offseason after losing four-time All-Star Liz Cambage to the Los Angeles Sparks. However, they were firing on all cylinders Friday against the Mercury, last year's championship runner-up.

Las Vegas led 54-32 at the half. All five starters scored in double figures, with Dearica Hamby dropping 24 points. Former WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson posted a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double, and Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum each scored 20 points.

Phoenix was playing without superstar center Brittney Griner, who remains detained in Russia after customs officials said she had vape cartridges during a customs check. The United States government recently reclassified Griner as "wrongfully detained."

The Mercury likely would have made this game closer with Griner on the floor. The Aces offense was sensational, though, as they shot 58.2 percent from the field and made 11-of-21 three-pointers.

Las Vegas will make its home 2022 debut Sunday at 10 p.m. ET against the Seattle Storm.