Aces' Hammon wins Coach of the Year
Las Vegas Aces bench boss Becky Hammon was named the 2021-22 WNBA Coach of the Year on Friday.
Hammon is the first former WNBA player to win the award in their debut campaign. She guided the Aces to a league-best 26-10 mark during the regular season as well as the Commissioner's Cup championship.
Hammon received 27 out of 56 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Atlanta Dream head coach Tanisha Wright finished second with 18 votes, while Chicago Sky bench boss James Wade picked up eight votes.
Here's how the voting broke down:
| Coach | Team | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| B. Hammon | Aces | 27 |
| T. Wright | Dream | 18 |
| J. Wade | Sky | 8 |
| V. Johnson | Wings | 1 |
| V. Nygaard | Mercury | 1 |
| M. Thibault | Mystics | 1 |
Hammon took the Las Vegas job last December after eight years as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs under Gregg Popovich. The six-time All-Star interviewed for multiple NBA head coaching vacancies during her time in the Association before returning to the WNBA on a five-year deal that reportedly made her the league's highest-paid coach.
The Aces begin their semifinal playoff series against the Seattle Storm on Sunday. The franchise has come up short in each of its two WNBA Finals appearances.
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