Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson
LAS VEGAS — Modern basketball design is an ever-evolving ecosystem where the boundaries between leagues, genders, and tactical philosophies constantly bleed into one another. Few figures embody this cross-pollination better than Las Vegas Aces Head Coach Becky Hammon.
After spending nearly a decade on the bench alongside legendary head coach Gregg Popovich as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs, Hammon made history by taking the reins in Las Vegas. Her transition brought an immediate shift in how offenses operate across women’s professional basketball.
I asked Coach Hammon to break down the tactical exchange between both leagues, looking specifically at how NBA reads translate to the modern pace and space of the WNBA, and what NBA coaches could steal from WNBA schemes.
The Gregg Popovich Special: Execution Under Pressure
When presented with the question, Hammon smiled before diving into a specific play design from earlier that evening in an eventual 109-87 win over the Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
“Oh my god, I would ask you to read that again,” Hammon joked initially. “We just ran one of Pop’s specials tonight. You probably saw it, he watches all of our games. Got Jack [Jackie Young] a layup on it… Shout out to Pop, it still works!”
The set, an After-Timeout (ATO) call drawn straight from the Spurs catalog, highlighted how foundational set pieces remain timeless when paired with execution. But while quick-hitters and ATO designs are essential tools in her arsenal, Hammon’s overarching influence on the WNBA extends far beyond individual play calls.
Redefining Geometry: Moving Away from Traditional Play
Before Hammon arrived in Las Vegas, much of the WNBA relied heavily on traditional, rigid offenses. Formations frequently featured two static post players clogging the paint, forcing perimeter creators to drive into heavy traffic.
Hammon recognized that the elite skill level across the league was being constrained by structural clutter. By lifting entry points, spreading the floor, and granting athletes positional freedom, she unlocked a brand of offense that spread rapidly across the league.
“As far as pace and space, yeah, I think we brought that to the league,” Hammon tells ScoopB.com.
“That was not here; it was very traditional, two posts. Now we’re getting to where the bigs are extended, everybody’s getting higher scoring averages across the league. The league is just expanding because the girls are so skilled, and I think just giving them freedom and space to operate, now you’re seeing really how good they actually are, and how skilled they actually are.”
By stretching five-player lineups outward and clearing the lane, drivers gained clearer lanes to read defenders, while perimeter shooters were awarded clean looks in rhythm.
A Synthesis of Coaching Greats
While her eight years under Popovich laid a massive foundation for her strategic approach, Hammon remains an avid student of the wider basketball coaching landscape.
She regularly studies tacticians from both the NBA and WNBA ranks to refine her system.
“You can talk about D’Antoni, Pop, and all these… Brad Stevens, who I think… Quin Snyder, here in Atlanta, I think is a wonderful coach,” Hammon pointed out.
“So you can always learn from whoever. But yeah, being with him for eight years, I caught on to a lot of things that I really liked.”
This blend of Mike D’Antoni’s Seven Seconds or Less tempo, San Antonio’s ball-movement principles, and modern space-and-pace concepts created a high-octane environment.
The explosion of offensive output
The systemic shift brought by modern spacing concepts has fundamentally altered the WNBA’s stat sheets. High-scoring individual displays and team offensive ratings have soared league-wide, driven by an elevated standard of player execution.
“These players, not only my players, but players across the league, you’re seeing 30-point games more often, 40-point games,” Hammon noted. “Just the scoring goes to really the work, but also the skill set that these women now have.”
As NBA and WNBA coaches continuously exchange tactical ideas, Hammon’s success in Las Vegas stands as proof that when elite players are given structure paired with creative freedom, the game advances for everyone.