Becky Hammon, assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, made history December 30th as the first woman to serve as a head coach in an NBA game.

The Spurs’ head coach, Greg Popovich, got ejected for arguing with the officials over an alleged non-call in the second quarter against the Lakers.

That’s when Hammon stepped in with 3:56 to go in the half. 

“He officially pointed at me. That was it. He said, ‘You got ‘em.’” Becky Hammon stated in an interview talking about Popovich’s reaction. 

The Spurs’ finished the game with a tough but close loss with the final score being 121-107. 

Hammon played in the WNBA (1999-2014), and was an All-Star guard, playing 16 seasons for the New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars as well as stints overseas.

She’s been on the San Antonio Spurs staff for six years. In 2014, she was hired to a full-time coaching position. In 2018, when former Spurs’ assistant, James Borrego left, Hammon joined Popovich on the front row of the sideline. She was also invited to interview for the Milwaukee Bucks’ head coaching job in 2018.

Becky Hammon has proven that women are continuing to break the glass ceiling even in the world of sports. This is the first time a woman has coached in an NBA regular season game, but we all know it won’t be the last.