Becky Hammon’s quotes are filled with wisdom, inspiration, and motivation. What else can you expect from the career-long underdog who still made an indelible mark on basketball?
Talk about being a motivation for perseverance and self-belief. Her journey from an overlooked and undrafted All-American player at Colorado State to a six-time WNBA All-Star shows her drive and dedication.
A true trailblazer, Hammon is now the championship-winning head coach of the Las Vegas Aces. In 2015, she became the first woman to be a head coach in the NBA Summer League. And in 2020, she made history again as the first woman to serve as an acting head coach in an NBA game. She’s one of the few women’s basketball coaches who won championships as a player.
We can learn much about motivation from Becky Hammon through her quotes. In this post, I have compiled 25 of her most impactful quotes that I hope resonate with you.
1. Natural Progression
“It’s not that I set out to say, ‘I’m going to be the first assistant coach in the NBA.’ That really – it was never my intent. It just kind of happened very naturally.”
In this Becky Hammon quote, she shares that her path to becoming the first woman NBA assistant coach was organic and not a deliberate plan to break barriers.
2. Living the Dream
“I was living my dream as a WNBA player.”
A small number of people get to say they played in the WNBA. Here, Hammon reflects on her fulfilling career as a player in the league, achieving a childhood dream.
3. Lessons from Sports
“The greatest thing about sports, to me, is just the crossover into everyday life.”
There’s a reason why Becky Hammon succeeds at so many things. Here, she explains that she applies the lessons learned in sports to everyday challenges and experiences.
4. Overcoming Physical Limitations
“I was always smaller and slower than everybody else, so I had to figure out other ways to be successful. Some people can survive on their athleticism; I had to survive on my brain.”
At just 5’6”, Hammon was significantly shorter than the average WNBA height. However, she used her intelligence and strategy to compensate for physical disadvantages in sports.
5. Embracing Challenges
“I’m up for challenges. I’m up for being outside the box, making tough decisions and challenges… And I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie.”
Never one to accept going with the flow, Hammon here expresses her willingness to take on difficult situations and push boundaries.
6. Uphill Journey
“Nothing in my life has really ever been easy. I’ve always been someone who did it uphill.”
In this Becky Hammon quote, she acknowledges that obstacles and hard work were instrumental in her path to success.
7. Power of Hope
“Hope and encouragement, especially hope, is probably one of the greatest things you can give another person.”
Many Aces players have shared how Becky Hammon’s confidence in them influenced their play. She clearly believes in the transformative power of providing hope and encouragement to others.
8. Seizing Opportunities
“I can’t open doors that aren’t open. But if a door opens, I would be happy to walk through.”
We go further together, and here, Hammon acknowledges she stays ready to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
9. Hard Work and Integrity
“You never know what your journey has in store. You just work hard and keep your nose to the grind. You do things the right way. You treat people the right way and good things happen.”
Of all the Becky Hammon quotes, this one may be my favorite. She emphasizes the importance of hard work, integrity, and treating people well.
10. Overcoming Doubt
“I’ve heard every reason I shouldn’t be successful. And yet, you just take that all in. I always say you should be very careful with the voices you listen to. My closest voices have always told me you can.”
You can’t listen to people who don’t believe in you. Hammon advises being selective about whose opinions you value, focusing on those who believe in your potential.
11. Skills Over Quotas
“Please don’t hire me to check a box. That’s the worst thing you can do for me. Hire me because of my skill sets and coaching, who I am as a person.”
As you might imagine, Hammon’s hiring in the NBA was met with unfounded skepticism. Here, she insists on being recognized for her abilities and contributions, not merely as a diversity hire.
12. Resilience
“I got knocked down a lot, but that’s also the story of my journey. You just keep getting back up, when you do that, the places that you eventually go will blow your mind.”
If you take a punch, you’ve got to get back up. In this Becky Hammon quote, she highlights the importance of resilience and persistence.
13. Breaking Barriers
“Just because something’s never been done doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Leadership has no gender.”
Here, Hammon discusses challenging traditional gender roles in leadership, advocating for equal opportunities.
14. Return to the WNBA
“I am so excited to return to the WNBA and grateful for Mark Davis and Nikki Fargas having a vision for me to lead the Aces. This is where I come from, and I wouldn’t be me without the W. I’m thrilled to be able to give back and lead this next group of women.”
After her NBA coaching stint, Hammon returned to the WNBA as the head coach for the Las Vegas Aces. Here, she expresses her excitement and gratitude for reconnecting with the WNBA.
15. Untapped Potential
“Half the world’s population hasn’t been tapped for their mind and ability and skill sets in the sports world. It’s something that needs to change.”
This Becky Hammon quote calls for greater inclusion of women in the sports industry.
16. Believing In Herself
“I’m used to people not picking me, I don’t know if you’re aware. I just do me.”
If you’ve read many Becky Hammon quotes or have heard her story, you know she is accustomed to being overlooked. Still, she believes in herself and remains true to herself and her unique approach.
17. Gratitude for Mentorship
“You’re (Popovich) a man of principle and excellence. I know you weren’t trying to be courageous when you hired me but you did do something nobody in professional sports has ever done. You changed the trajectory of my life and of so many girls and young women. Thank you. I love you.”
Here, Hammon expresses her heartfelt gratitude to Gregg Popovich for his groundbreaking decision to hire her in the NBA.
18. Comfortable as an Underdog
“If you want to put me as an underdog, I’m perfectly comfortable in that role. I’m not somebody who has gotten here by luck. I’ve had to work. I’m not afraid to work. I enjoy working and I enjoy working hard.”
Hammon has always embraced the role of an underdog. She knows she can count on her strong work ethic and determination, as suggested in this interview.
19. Distaste for Mediocrity
“I don’t like sucking at anything.”
Here, Hammon gives a straightforward admission of her drive to excel and aversion to mediocrity.
20. Taking Risks
“And if you know me, I’m going to shoot my shot. I might fail but it’s not going to be for lack of trying.”
While appearing on The Shop, Hammon shared that she is willing to take risks and put in the effort, regardless of the outcome.
21. Consistent Leadership
“Leadership doesn’t disappear. Leadership is consistent, [it] shows up when other things disappear… Leadership provides accountability but it doesn’t let you off the hook to be this team one night and another team the next night.”
While on NBA Today, Hammon described true leadership as being consistent, not fluctuating depending on the circumstances.
22. Strength from Adversity
“My journey’s not by mistake. Every hard thing I’ve gone through has built something in me that I’ve needed down the road.”
Hammon had to take the hard road, but she sees value in every challenge she has faced. This Becky Hammon quote suggests she recognizes how they have contributed to her strength and skills.
23. Honoring Greatness
“She’s the greatest player to put on the uniform. Period. As she would say. Her dominance … You could probably make an argument for both ends of the floor, just the greatest player to ever put on a Stars or Aces uniform.”
If you play for Becky Hammon, she has your back. Here, she speaks about her Aces player A’ja Wilson, acknowledging her as the greatest player in the history of the franchise.
24. Investment in Relationships
“Leadership is about relationships. Myself… I have no standing to be able to take out a transaction if I haven’t put a lot of investment into it – especially time investment, knowledge, teaching… I don’t get to make a withdrawal…”
Many Becky Hammon quotes offer valuable insight on great leadership. Here, Hammon discusses how investing in relationships and building trust as a leader are important.
25. Valuing Diverse Perspectives
“I want different ideas. I don’t want a bunch of people agreeing with everything I say, and so I think that’s how we come up with the best game plan, the best schemes is when everybody has a voice.”
Hammon knows she’s only as good as the team around her. In this Becky Hammon quote, she talks about valuing diverse perspectives within her coaching staff to develop the best strategies.
More Basketball Coach Quotes
If you enjoyed these Becky Hammon quotes, get even more inspiration from great basketball minds. Check out our list of best basketball quotes, or our curated lists of A’ja Wilson quotes, Dawn Staley quotes, and Pat Summitt quotes.
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Boost Your Spirit and Confidence With These 22 A’ja Wilson Quotes
18 Inspirational Lisa Leslie Basketball Quotes to Motivate You
Elevate Your Game: 26 Candace Parker Quotes on Discipline and Excellence
Featured image and quote images use photo via Las Vegas Aces.
