Hammon helped Aces overcome adversity on way to second straight WNBA c

When Becky Hammon received an offer in December 2021 to leave the Spurs to coach the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, she sat down with Gregg Popovich to talk over the pros and cons of the situation.

High on her list of reasons to take the job: She saw something special in the Aces.

“I really think I can win with this group,” she told Popovich. “I think we can win it all.”

For guiding the Aces to their second consecutive championship, a feat that had not been accomplished in the WNBA since the Los Angeles Sparks pulled it off in 2001-2002, Hammon has been named the Express-News’ 2023 Sportswoman of the Year.

Hammon accepted the job after spending eight seasons as a pioneering assistant coach with the Spurs following her 16-year WNBA career, which included spending the final eight seasons playing point guard for the San Antonio Silver Stars. The team was sold to MGM Resorts International in 2017 and became the Las Vegas Aces in 2018.

“It is always nice to get that hometown love and to not be forgotten,” Hammon said of being named Sportswoman of the Year. “I appreciate the honor.”

Led by Finals MVP A’ja Wilson’s 24-point, 16-rebound double-double, the Aces edged the New York Liberty 70-69 on Oct. 18 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn to seal a 3-1 victory in the Finals.

In Hammon’s first season with the Aces and her first season as a head coach, the Aces bested the Connecticut Sun in four games in 2022 for the franchise’s first crown. While that championship run included plenty of challenges, the repeat was even tougher as controversy marred the first half of the season and injuries later threatened to ruin it.

“It was extremely hard this year,” Hammon said.

It all began with the WNBA suspending Hammon in May for two games without pay after an investigation into allegations that a player was bullied for being pregnant.

The ruling resulted from a lengthy investigation into the team stemming from comments allegedly made to former Las…