For years, Becky Hammon was used to being overlooked. She wasn’t recruited by the biggest college programs, went undrafted by the WNBA, and time and again, NBA teams passed over her for head coaching jobs. “No one ever picks me,” she had once said. But then came the Las Vegas Aces. After interviews with the Magic, Bucks, and Trail Blazers, the Aces became the first team to take a chance and hand Hammon the keys as head coach. And what a decision that turned out to be—Hammon has now guided the team to three championships in just four seasons at the helm.

According to Alexa Philippou, the Aces made history as the first team with a sub-.500 record through 25 games (12-13) to capture a WNBA title. The same squad that came within a single game of elimination not once, but twice, managed to save their best basketball for the final stretch.

Becky Hammon has officially set the standard in the WNBA. With Friday night’s 97-86 victory over the Phoenix Mercury, she improved her finals record to an astonishing 10-2, the best in league history. Hammon is now one of just four coaches in WNBA history to win three championships. When talking about WNBA dynasties, we usually think of two teams: the Houston Comets, who dominated the league’s early years with four straight titles, and the Minnesota Lynx, led by Maya Moore, who won four championships in eight seasons from 2011 to 2017. Now, the Las Vegas Aces join that elite company.

Hammon put on a masterclass throughout the series against the Mercury. Switching to a zone defense in the second half of Game 1 effectively suffocated Phoenix’s offense, clogging the middle of the floor and neutralizing Alyssa Thomas, which completely turned the tide. Her defensive tweaks, like disrupting the Mercury’s middle pick-and-roll, kept Phoenix off balance for the entire series. Yet, her smartest move might have been continuing to rely on former All-Star guard Jewell Loyd.

“You know, Becky was definitely the person that believed in me from the start. You know, I was kind of written off and exiled when I ended up here,” said the former WNBA scoring leader.  Loyd never quite found her rhythm with the Aces after being traded for Kelsey Plum. Her scoring numbers took a noticeable hit, dropping to 11.2 points per game from 19.7 the previous season. For the first time since her rookie year, the former Storm guard was coming off the bench.

But it was she who truly swung the momentum for the Las Vegas Aces in the Finals.

• The Aces’ bench helped the Aces make a comeback in Game 1, pouring in 41 points, with Jewell Loyd personally contributing 18 of them.
• In Game 2, Loyd knocked down three 3-pointers
• In Game 3, Loyd set a WNBA Finals record by sinking four 3-pointers in the first quarter alone.

Many consider Hammon’s 2023 Finals win over the Liberty–where she overcame the loss of both starting point guard Chelsea Gray and center Kiah Stokes in Game 3, becoming the first team in WNBA history to win a playoff game missing multiple starters from the previous game–as one of her career highlights. But turning Jewell Loyd into a key bench contributor is another masterstroke that deserves just as much praise.

And we can’t overlook Jewell Loyd’s championship experience. While Hammon boasts the best coaching record in Finals history at 10-2, Loyd herself has a flawless 10-0 record in WNBA Finals, including a series win over the Aces back in 2020. That experience proved invaluable in helping Las Vegas complete the sweep.

A’ja Wilson was quick to shower praise on coach Becky Hammon, crediting her for everything she’s done to elevate the Las Vegas Aces.

A’ja Wilson praises Las Vegas Aces HC

Earlier in the season, when the Las Vegas Aces were struggling, Hammon had the team watch Thunderbirds, a film about the U.S. Air Force squadron. The goal was to show the players’ blind trust in action–a quality she felt was missing on the court, as per Athletic. And it showed. Under Hammon, the Aces had never been below .500 halfway through a season. But thanks to her leadership, they turned it around, going on a 25-3 run that ultimately secured the championship.

A’ja Wilson was quick to praise her coach, saying, “Becky has done tremendous things for this franchise, and it’s not just her basketball mind…when your leader is so poured into you…we’re so grateful for her. You (Becky) keep bringing championships to Vegas and we just want to keep being on the ride with you. “

Next season, Hammon and the Aces will be hungry to defend their title and take another step toward becoming the league’s most successful franchise. But can they do it? That will largely depend on the outcome of the current CBA negotiations and how the new salary cap shapes up for free agency. What do you think–can Hammon pull off another championship next year? Share your thoughts in the comments below!