Becky Hammon, Basketball Player: WNBA Player Profile

Rebecca Lynn Hammon, better known to WNBA fans as Becky Hammon hails from Rapid City, South Dakota and was born on March 11, 1977. She grew up in a household that included her parents Beverly and Martin, a member of the United States Coast Guard, and older siblings Matt and Gina.

Playing for the Raiders of Rapid City Stevens High School, Becky Hammon garnered many honors including South Dakota Miss Basketball in 1994 as a junior and Gatorade South Dakota Player of the Year in 1995. During that campaign she averaged 26 points per game.

After high school, Hammon enrolled at Colorado State University, a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). She immediately made an impact and was named WAC Freshman of the Year in 1996. Hammon continued he strong play and by the time she was senior in 1999 she was named a Kodak All-American and was a Naismith Trophy finalist. As a member of the Rams, Hammon took her team to the NCAA Post-Season Tournament twice, including their first appearance in 1997, and again during her senior year in 1999 when they made it to the Sweet Sixteen. She also finished as the WAC’s all time leading scorer, men or women, with 2,740 points, displacing current NBA player Keith Van Horn from the list.

Upon graduation of Colorado State, Hammon was deemed too short by many for the WNBA and went undrafted. On May 12, 1999 the New York Liberty, re-thought that assessment and made a wise move by signing the 5’6 guard. Intially Hammon was called on to be a backup for aging superstar Teresa Witherspoon, but took over full-time during the 2004 season. She also was named captain along with teammates Vickie Johnson and Crystal Robinson. In Hammon’s short career she has already been to the WNBA championship twice, appearing in the 1999 and 2002 seasons. She also was named to the All-WNBA Second Team in 2005.

Besides entertaining fans while on the court, Hammon devotes herself to the game and good causes in the off-season. She was chosen to participate in the WNBA’s “Choose to Know” effort to prevent cervical cancer along with a number of other highly visible league stars. During the off-season she also leads a basketball camp called “Becky Hammon School of Skills basketball” in both Fort Collins, CO, and her hometown of Rapid City, SD.

While not on the court Hammon loves playing and listening to music. She can sing and play the drums and has said that if not a basketball player she would have liked to become a musician. Also, having grown up in a rural area, Hammon likes to fish and hunt. If her aim is as good in the forest as it is on the court, those animals better watch out!