Aces to honor franchise legend Monday in home finale

She already has plentifulness of fond memories of Las Vegas, ranging from her playing days with Colorado State successful the WAC tournaments to her coaching days astatine the NBA’s Vegas Summer League with the San Antonio Spurs.

Come Monday afternoon, Becky Hammon volition person different representation to cherish. The 1 of her No. 25 jersey ascending to the rafters.

The Aces are honoring Hammon astatine halftime of their matinee against the Dallas Wings by raising her retired jersey wrong Michelob Ultra Arena. Hammon, who was named past play arsenic 1 of the 25 top and astir influential players successful WNBA history, played 8 seasons for the franchise erstwhile it was the San Antonio Stars.

She is inactive the franchise’s vocation person successful assists (1,333), 3-pointers (498) and free-throw percent (92.1). She ranks 2nd successful points (3,474) and vocation scoring mean (15.6) and 4th successful 3-point percent (38.8).

“Being present successful Las Vegas … it’s different immense honor,” Hammon said Sunday during a video league with reporters. “I truly admit the Aces digging backmost into past and honoring radical that came before. That’s however you physique culture. That’s however you physique quality successful your organization.”

The Aces each twelvemonth person honored the franchise’s alumni astatine halftime of location games, highlighting the past of enactment and the players who built it. There is nary alumnus much accomplished than Hammon, the undrafted constituent defender who went connected to go 1 of the WNBA’s top players.

Hammon broke into the league successful 1999 with the New York Liberty, blossoming from a reserve into an All-Star earlier being traded successful 2007 to San Antonio. She had her champion statistical seasons with the Stars and was a three-time All-Star with the franchise, with whom she retired aft the 2014 campaign.

She concluded her vocation arsenic a six-time WNBA All-Star and four-time All-WNBA honoree. She led the league successful assists successful 2017 and was named 1 of the league’s apical 15 players successful 2011 earlier earning apical 25 lasting this season.

“I was conscionable benignant of the kid that wasn’t picked, and past erstwhile you’re picked, you’re amazed,” said Hammon, who volition statesman her eighth play arsenic an adjunct manager with the Spurs adjacent month. “When I got the telephone from the commissioner telling maine I was portion of the apical 25, it was evidently an astonishing infinitesimal and an unthinkable honor.”

The Stars really retired Hammon’s jersey successful 2016, but it wasn’t yet contiguous successful Michelob Ultra Arena. That’ll yet alteration connected Monday.

Contact newsman Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected Twitter.