The Las Vegas Aces and Becky Hammon continue to dominate the WNBA and show little sign of slowing down. Last year, this led them all the way to a 26-10 record and an 8-2 record in the playoffs.
The Aces are poised to win another championship, but what about after that? What should Becky Hammon do if she is lucky enough to win two titles? There isn’t much left to accomplish.
She has nothing left to prove
Hammon has very little to prove after winning the championship in her first year and working towards a second. Now, that doesn’t mean she can’t stay and try to win a third one; there just wouldn’t be much point. She’s already close to reaching her ceiling in the WNBA and needs a new challenge.
That’s why the idea of Hammon leaving the league seems so likely. She already has offers coming her way, including one from the Toronto Raptors at the beginning of the year.
The Aces might hurt her reputation
Another problem is the Aces could begin to hurt Hammon’s reputation. She was already suspended for alleged bullying and under-the-table payments, calling into question how she runs things. The Aces also broke the charter flight rules a couple of weeks ago, another infraction. No matter how minor these offenses are, they chip away at her image.
As long as Hammon continues to win and make the playoffs, she has a good chance at building an NBA resume. The problem, however, is if her stock starts to fall due to a scandal or a bad season.
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She likely wants to coach in the NBA
It’s obvious that Hammon’s dream is to coach in the NBA. She worked as an Assistant Coach under Greg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs, giving her a wealth of knowledge.
There’s no point in staying with the Aces long-term. It makes so much more sense for Hammon to grab onto the next NBA head coaching vacancy. Otherwise, her window may close, and she may never get to fulfill the dream.
She dropped a hint during a 2023 preseason interview
Looking back at Hammon’s preseason press conference, we seem to know where her head is. When asked whether she would be taking an NBA head coaching job, she stated the day was about the women. Not a yes. Not a no. Just changing the subject to get the spotlight away from her.
That shows while she is staying with the Aces for now, she will likely leave once the right offer comes along. Again, what is there left to prove for a coach that came in and won a championship in her first year? She even won coach of the year and dominated the playoffs. She needs a new challenge. A challenge that the WNBA doesn’t present to her.
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