Spurs' Popovich Jokes About Getting Ejected to See Becky Hammon, Aces Win WNBA Finals

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich joked he was considering taking extreme measures to watch the Las Vegas Aces attempt to clinch their second straight WNBA title.

Following Wednesday's 117-103 preseason victory over the Houston Rockets, Popovich told reporters he "thought about getting booted tonight" so he could follow Game 4 of the WNBA Finals.

The Aces beat the New York Liberty 70-69 to repeat as champs. Las Vegas is coached by Becky Hammon, who spent eight years as an assistant with the Spurs.

The WNBA legend made history when she joined San Antonio's staff in 2014, becoming the first female full-time assistant coach in the NBA. She continued to blaze a new trail when she served as the Spurs' acting head coach after Popovich was ejected from a game in December 2020.

While Hammon interviewed for NBA head-coaching jobs, she was unable to take that next step up full time until deciding to fill the Aces' vacancy in 2022. Since then, Las Vegas has compiled a 60-16 regular-season record along with its back-to-back championships.

"She's special because she's Becky, the same reasons why I hired her," Popovich said of the Hall of Fame guard. "She's a competitive, competitive coach. She understands the game. She's great with relationships. She suffers no fools. She's fun to be around. What else could you ask."

Perhaps the day will come when Hammon is coaching against her old boss in the Association because she has certainly answered all of her skeptics in Las Vegas.