Las Vegas Aces coachBecky Hammonhas broken her silence regarding the league’s recent decision to suspend her for two games without pay.
“I handled Dearica with care from day one when she told me,” Hammon told the media on Wednesday. “She knows that, and like I said, once I made the phone call that the decision has been made to move her, that’s when everything kind of fell apart.”
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Hammon continued, “When you’re dealing with a really tough conversation, I think things can get twisted real quick, but I don’t think there was any cursing or anything derogatory. That’s my opinion. Obviously, she has a different opinion, and she’s allowed to have that opinion, but that’s not how I saw things go down with my conversation or anybody else’s.”
The WNBA’s investigation, which included 33 interviews with people close to the situation and “a review of numerous texts, emails and other documents,” uncovered several individuals with “additional concerns about the conduct of the Aces during the most recent free agency period,” according to the WNBA.
The WNBA said that along with Hammon’s suspension, they are stripping the team of their 2025 first-round draft pick.
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Hammon has not objected to the penalties imposed on her and the Aces after the league’s investigation. “I’ll take my little lump on the chin,” Hammon told reporters.
She continued, “We’re bigger than this. It’s just not who the Aces are. It’s not who I am. And so, yeah, everybody’s disappointed in the situation, but at the end of the day, we know who we are and so we go to sleep every night in that truth.”
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The Aces organization released a statement regarding Hammon after the league’s decision.
“The WNBA’s determinations about Becky Hammon are inconsistent with what we know and love about her,” the statement said. “Becky is a caring human being who forges close personal relationships with her players.”
source: people.com
