The San Antonio Spurs hired Becky Hammon, a six-time WNBA All-Star as an assistant coach. She is the second female assistant coach in NBA history after Lisa Boyer. Hammon is currently in her 16 WNBA season. She announced that she will retire as a player at the conclusion of the 2014 season. She was one of the WNBA’s Top 15 Players of All-Time in July of 2011.

In her WNBA career Hammon appeared in 445 regular season games, averaging 13.1 points, 3.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 28.0 minutes. She has earned All-WNBA First Team honors twice in 2007 and 2009 and was named to the All-WNBA Second Team in 2005 and 2008. Hammon was a three-time All-American at Colorado State. She was undrafted in the 1999 WNBA Draft. She signed with the New York Liberty in May of 1999 and spent eight seasons with the Liberty before being traded to the Stars in a Draft night deal in 2007.

Last season, Hammon attended Spurs practices, film sessions and sat behind the bench at home games after suffering a torn ACL that kept her from playing. She’s been friends with Tony Parker and Tim Duncan since she competed in the NBA All-Star shooting competition in 2008. They both play for the Spurs.

It’s been a long time coming for female basketball players and coaches who have long dreamed of getting a chance in the NBA. Hammon has a reputation of being smart, hardnosed, tough-minded player. She has received congratulatory messages from all over, including from Liberman, Boyer and Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

Becky was born on March 11, 1977. She grew up as the youngest of three children and played high school basketball at Stevens High School. As a senior, she was voted the South Dakota Player of the year after averaging 26 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game. After high school she went to college at Colorado State. On November 12, 2004, Hammon was inducted into the Colorado State University Sports Hall of Fame. On January 22, 2005, her #25 Colorado State Jersey was retired at the Moby Arena.