NBA Gets First Female Assistant Coach

A little glass shattered today in the world of sports: The San Antonio Spurs hired WNBA all-star Becky Hammon as an assistant coach—a first for a woman in the NBA, reports the Washington Post. Hammon, who is retiring this year after 16 seasons in the women's league, had what amounts to an "unofficial internship" as an assistant with the team last year while recovering from a leg injury, reports the San Antonio Express-News. She impressed coach Gregg Popovich.

“Having observed her working with our team this past season, I’m confident her basketball IQ, work ethic, and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs," he said in an NBA press release. The Post notes that Lisa Boyer served as a volunteer assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers more than a decade ago, though she didn't travel with the team. The 37-year-old Hammon, then, will be the first woman to work as a full-time assistant coach. (More Becky Hammon stories.)