LAS VEGAS (AP) – Every few minutes, Becky Hammon would check some notes and then stuff the list back into her hip pocket. She huddled with her assistant coaches while scribbling up plays that she would show her team during timeouts. She paced the sidelines at times, maybe burning off a bit of nervous energy.
In other words, she coached.
And while it might have seemed normal, it was different.
Hammon made another piece of history Saturday, becoming the first woman to lead a team in an NBA summer league game. Hammon and the San Antonio Spurs lost 78-73 to the New York Knicks in the Las Vegas league debut for both squads.
Other women have coached in summer league – Lindsey Harding, a former No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft, is a guest on Toronto’s staff in Las Vegas this year – but no female had been actually in charge of a roster.