Jennifer Rizzotti and Geno Auriemma go way back. Rizzotti was a guard on Auriemma's first national championship team and played professionally for several years. She now coaches at the University of Hartford, and has even been mentioned as Auriemma's possible replacement at UConn one day.
On Monday it was announced that Rizzotti was one of six inductees into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2013.
Details via the press release:
During her collegiate career with the Connecticut Huskies, Rizzotti averaged 11.4 points and totaled 1,540 points, 637 assists and 349 steals. She set the UConn season and career records in both of those categories. The point guard was the Associated Press National Player of the Year and Wade Trophy winner as college basketball's outstanding senior player in 1995-96. That accolade came a season after leading the Huskies to their first national championship and perfect 35-0 record in 1995.
She was a two-time Kodak All-America First Team selection, a GTE/CoSIDA Women's Basketball Academic All-American, the Big East Player of the Year and the Big East Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. During the Huskies memorable run to the 1995 national championship, Rizzotti was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In 13 years at the University of Hartford, Rizzotti is a three-time America East Coach of the Year who has led the Hawks to Four America East Regular Season titles, five America East Tournament Championships and six trips to the NCAA Tournament. Rizzotti has compiled an all-time record of 255 wins and 150 losses (.630).
Rizzotti coached several Huskies players last summer when she led the U.S. U-19 National Team to a gold medal at the FIBA World Championships.
The 2013 Hall of Fame class will be officially introduced at the 2012 State Farm Tip-Off Classic between Baylor and Kentucky on November 13. The induction ceremony will take place next June in Knoxville, Kentucky.
