"Bailed me out of every bad decision": When former Colorado State HC Tom Collen reflected on Becky Hammon's role in dominant division run

Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon played point guard for the Colorado State Rams under Tom Collen. Collen became Colorado State's coach in 1997, during which Hammon was entering her junior year.

Collen hired Curt Miller — former Los Angeles Sparks coach — as one of his assistant coaches, and the two helped Hammon develop her game while leading the Rams to their first conference tournament championship.

After his stint at Colorado State, Miller coached at Bowling Green, Indiana, Connecticut Sun and the Sparks. Meanwhile, Hammon, after her decorated college career, would play in the WNBA before venturing into coaching. For seven seasons, she served as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs before taking the Aces job in 2022.

In her rookie year as head coach, Hammon guided Las Vegas to the WNBA Finals, and in the opposing locker room stood Curt Miller, the Connecticut Sun coach.

Tom Collen found himself in a unique position, unable to decide whom to root for between his former colleague and student. He recalled his first season with Colorado State, when Hammon averaged 23.5 points per game.

"I inherited a team that I think was getting ready to explode on the scene and be really good," Collen said, per Sports Illustrated ahead of the Finals. "No matter how many mistakes I would make, Becky bailed me out of every bad decision ... "I’ve been very honest that I probably don’t get a shot to be a head coach without Becky’s leadership on that '98-99 Colorado State team."

Hammon's Las Vegas Aces would defeat Miller and the Connecticut Sun in four games, earning the franchise's first-ever WNBA championship.

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Tom Collen fought for Becky Hammon when no one else would

While Becky Hammon helped Tom Collen forge his career in coaching, he did everything he could to give her a push as well, standing by her beyond the WNBA draft after she was not selected in 1999.

Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve credits Collen, Hammon's college coach, for fighting to get Hammon into the league, which she called one of her favorite WNBA stories.

"Hammon went undrafted, but caught on with the New York Liberty," Reeve said, per ESPN. "I remember Tom Collen going around saying, 'Somebody give this kid a chance. Just get her into camp, you'll see.' She became a rock star at New York, and then the rest of the story was written here."

Hammon played eight seasons with the Liberty, earning three WNBA All-Star selections, before being traded to San Antonio in 2007.