UNCASVILLE - Former UConn standout and current assistant basketball coach for Team USA, Jennifer Rizzotti, has been named President of the Connecticut Sun, officials announced Tuesday.
In a statement, Mohegan Sun officials said Rizzotti will be responsible for overall business operations and marketing strategies for the Mohegan Tribe-owned WNBA franchise.
“I am so honored to rejoin the WNBA family in this leadership position with the Connecticut Sun,” said Rizzotti. “This league employs the very best women’s basketball players in the world. But more importantly, the WNBA is an inclusive and diverse community of women that inspire, lead and in their own words, 'provide a voice for the voiceless.'"
She continued: "I am proud to have won two championships as a player in the WNBA and will work tirelessly to help bring a championship to the Sun franchise.”
Rizzotti played for the UConn Huskies from 1992 – 1996, and in 1995 the team capped a 35-0 season with a Division 1 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. She finished her college career with 637 assists and nearly 350 steals while averaging just over 11 points per game.
After playing eight seasons of professional basketball following college, which included two championship seasons with the Houston Comets (1999 & 2000), Rizzotti embarked on a coaching career that led her to the University of Hartford where she spent 17 seasons.
During her tenure with UHart, Rizzotti became America East Conference “Coach of the Year” in 2006, 2007 and 2010.
Meanwhile, Rizzotti has also been an integral part of USA Women’s Basketball, and she currently serves as an assistant coach for both the Women’s USA Olympic team and the USA AmeriCup Team. In 2011, she was named USA Basketball “Coach of the Year.”
“Jen Rizzoti brings instant credibility and is a powerhouse within the women’s basketball community. She has deep roots here in Connecticut and we could not be more thrilled to have her joining our team,” said Connecticut Sun Board of Governors Representative and Recording Secretary for the Mohegan Tribal Council, Kathy Regan-Pyne. “Her passion, talent and expertise, along with her shared values and philosophies, make her a natural fit within our organization. We look forward to the team’s continued success and path forward under her leadership and alongside our incredible staff, coaches and players.”
Rizzotti was fired by George Washington University last month after a 9-14 season and just one trip to the NCAAs in five years at the school.
The team plans to hold a press conference next Tuesday to officially introduce Rizzotti.
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