George Washington University Athletics
Coach Rizzotti's Olympic Blog
7/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
George Washington women's basketball head coach Jennifer Rizzotti will be providing periodic blog updates on GWsports.com during the lead-up to, and throughout, the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Blog #11 - August 25
Twenty eight days. That's all it took. I walked off an airplane at LAX twenty eight days ago, and joined the USA Women's Basketball National Team on a journey that would take us across the country, and then the Equator, to play games in six different arenas against nine different teams from five continents to achieve one common goal. In twenty eight days, twelve women from all over the United States came together, set aside egos and stepped out of comfort zones to reach greatness. After twenty eight days of training and competing, the USA Women are golden. And there is no feeling like it.
Hard to describe this feeling 😁Thanks @usabasketball for letting me be a part of the excellence. #Rio2016 #USAWNT 🏅 pic.twitter.com/RJaC246oec
- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 20, 2016
Winning six Olympic competitions is an amazing feat. We live in an era of Simone Biles and Michael Phelps, whose hard work and tireless effort make winning Olympic gold seem easy. Let me tell you, it is not. The Women's National Team's historic run in Rio was the program's sixth consecutive gold medal. Things like that do not just happen: it is not normal, it is great. It means forty eight straight wins in Olympic play, and it means twenty years of Olympic glory. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around it, because it is one of the most remarkable accomplishments in the history of sport.
In my time as a head coach, I have been very fortunate to witness some outstanding success as a player and as a coach. I won NCAA Championships and WNBA Championships. I coached in Youth Championships for USA Basketball. There is no basketball success, on any level, like winning the gold medal at the Olympics. It solidifies a team at the top of the sport, and is a globally recognized measure of greatness. I am honored to have played a part in that, for the sport of women's basketball and for the United States.
The people who joined me on this incredible ride have a lot to do with this truly special feeling. My college coach and mentor Geno Auriemma is the best in the business, and it was both an honor and a privilege to help him earn a second gold medal. My friends and colleagues at USA Basketball, whom I have known well since 2006, are some of the hardest working people in sports. It was so much fun to join them for the Olympics.
The athletes are simply remarkable. For some, it was the first time I was around them in a coaching role. Elena Delle Donne demonstrated how willing she is to learn and work hard, despite being the WNBA MVP. Brittney Griner is all fun, all the time...until she is swatting shots in the paint. For others, I've been around them for years. Sue Bird became the point guard at my alma mater shortly after I graduated, so we are connected by tradition. Tina Charles and Maya Moore played on the USA Basketball U18 Team in 2006, when I was an assistant coach for Doug Bruno. Breanna Stewart played on the U19 World Championship Team for which I was the head coach in 2011, as a high school sophomore. To see their progression from high school stars with potential to Olympic champions was extremely emotional, and extremely rewarding.
I am so proud of the athletes, coaches, and staff members who dedicated a month of their lives for a common goal. At the Olympics, only athletes win medals. Our staff of sixteen left Rio with nothing more than the satisfaction of knowing that we did everything in our power to help the athletes and Team USA. That feeling is special enough.
There is a great sense of honor to work with USA Basketball. They are the top of the sport at every level, and to be asked to serve on their staff to earn a gold medal is extremely fulfilling, even after ten years. I do not know what will be next in my journey with USA Basketball, but I am still riding high on the gold medal feeling. More than that, I am so thrilled to be back in Washington, D.C. and to take a gold medal attitude onto the practice court with the Colonials.
Twenty eight days is not a very long time. It is enough time to make lifelong memories, to compete and train with a single goal, and to come back to the USA with a gold medal. Now those twenty eight days are over, and the real journey begins. I can't wait to get started.
Glad to be back, and see you all soon!
Raise High, Coach Rizz.
Best mentor I could have. Thanks Geno for including me in this journey #Rio2016 🏅🇺🇸 @usabasketball pic.twitter.com/qZc72FCoY8
- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 20, 2016
Pretty awesome...🏅🇺🇸 @S10Bird #Rio2016 @usabasketball pic.twitter.com/JmBgXBWRel
- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 20, 2016
Mission accomplished! 🏅 #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/ICH6XofPLt
- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 20, 2016
The girl from Ipanema.....#goldhabits #lastdayinrio #Rio2016 #USAHouse pic.twitter.com/BOIS4S6Iha
- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 21, 2016
As much fun as I've had in Rio, this is where my focus will be starting tomorrow! #RaiseHigh @GW_WBB pic.twitter.com/UjFkdhCJih
- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 21, 2016
Blog #10 - August 17
Last night, we played a terrific team. Japan was a surprise at this Olympics finishing 3-2 in their pool but unfortunately drawing us with the tie-break scenario. They are not a team we are very familiar with and they play a great brand of small ball. They are fast, can shoot the three and create lots of matchup problems. It took us about 15-20 mins to catch our stride. Our depth, size and shooting ability wore them down and we stretched out the lead late in the third quarter to go on to win by 40. It was definitely an example of how things are a lot harder than they look.
We did have a little scare when Sue Bird went down in the second quarter with a knee injury. We have since learned that she only has a sprain and are still in uncertain as to her status for our next two games. But it was great to see the team rally without our leader, especially her longtime friend Diana Taurasi, who is making a case in this Olympics for why she may be considered the best of all time.
On to the semifinals where we will play France tomorrow night, another one of the teams I've been scouting since we played them in Delaware three weeks ago. They are also missing their leader and point guard to injury but still have a lot of fire power and experience. It should be a great matchup. It's fun to watch our teams' focus in their preparation as the stakes continue to get higher.
I'm currently sitting in traffic on the way to our Men's National team game where they face Argentina. It will be my first live look at GW alum Patricio Garino! After the men's game, I'll head over to Copa Cabana to watch the medal games for women's beach volleyball. I'll be sure to include some pictures! Go USA! Four more days in Rio, 2 more games, one goal. Raise high! Coach Rizzotti
USA/Japan tip!! Quarterfinals #Rio2016 #roadtogold 🏅 🇺🇸/🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/gCglKMhAsY
-- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 16, 2016
Blog #9 - August 14
After defeating a physical Canada team on Friday, the team earned a much deserved physical day off. Saturday morning we met for film and then went up to the top of the boat and walked through China's plays in preparation for Sunday's game. It's amazing to watch these professionals take their preparation so seriously. It's nice as a coach when you have a lot of time to practice and go through everything live but in the Olympics, there just isn't enough time. And in an effort to save their legs, we try and balance the practice and days off so they are always ready but also fresh.
So with an afternoon off, I was fortunate to score some tickets to go watch Men's golf. We made it to the course and caught Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar as they came through hole 16. We followed Matt on his last three holes and then had a good hookup to get us inside the ropes. Once Bubba Watson was done with media, he came over to thank us for coming and wish us luck. His wife played basketball at Georgia back in the 90's and was a Canadian National team player so he has an appreciation for women's hoops. He was gracious enough to take a picture with me for my son and then he actually took a picture with Geno and I and posted it on his Twitter- pretty cool.
Today was game day once again. Our last game in pool play, against China. We dominated the game from the start and never looked back. What was most impressive was that we broke the Olympic single game assist record with 40. To have so many All-stars/MVP's/scoring record holders on a team, it's so amazing that they are all so unselfish. Proud to be a part of this group.
On to medal rounds starting this Tuesday! Tune in as we face Japan at 5:45pm EDT! Go USA!
Raise High, Coach Rizz
What a great Olympic moment 😁 Got to watch and meet @bubbawatson today 🇺🇸🏌Go USA #Rio2016 @usabasketball @USAGolf pic.twitter.com/wfaurmlY4A
-- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 13, 2016
Thanks @usabasketball for coming out to support golf today! #USABasketball #Olympics pic.twitter.com/e8r16XvPVT
-- bubba watson (@bubbawatson) August 13, 2016
Coach Rizzotti going through the China scout with #USAWNT on the pool deck 🇺🇸🏅#Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/s0XUjvUac2
-- GW Womens Basketball (@GW_WBB) August 14, 2016
Game 5 at Deodoro today for me and my partner in crime @kdemillionaire USA vs China #Rio2016 🇺🇸🏅@usabasketball pic.twitter.com/T3ZxI56vPB
-- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 14, 2016
Blog #8 - August 10
We have been on the move nonstop, even with an off day on the schedule. The team defeated Spain, ranked third in the world and silver medalists at the FIBA World Championship for Women in 2014. We got great contributions from so many players, which is a great luxury to have. If someone is having an off night, there's a WNBA All-Star on the bench to pick up some of the slack. After the game, I stayed at Deodoro Youth Arena with some other members of the coaching staff to scout the Canadian and Serbian national teams. Serbia built a big lead, but the Canadian team fought back to win the game right at the end. I was there to study their offenses and player tendencies, but it was a really fun game to watch. The thing about the Olympics is that there are no bad teams: these are the best women's basketball teams in the world, and the games have been very competitive.
After some scouting, Nike Sports Marketing hosted our staff, and the staffs from other sports and other nations, at a hospitality event near the Olympic Village. Nike has been so great to the Women's National Team - and to GW Athletics - and they continue to prove why they are the leaders in sports apparel and marketing. Our relationship with Nike really helps make this whole Olympic process special, because of their commitment to women's sports and the people who want to see female athletes succeed.
The next day, an off day from practice, kept us on our feet. We went back to Deodoro to scout some more, this time a close contest between Australia and France. We saw both of these teams during our domestic exhibition tour, but they are very deep and very well coached, so it is important that we monitor their progress. They are potential opponents in the medal rounds, so we need to keep scouting them in the event they stand between the USA and the gold medal! After some more work on an off-day, we headed down to Copacabana Beach to watch the USA Women's Beach Volleyball Team of Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Sweat. They lost in two sets to the Brazilian team - the tournament favorites - but the environment in the stadium was electric. The Brasileros are so passionate about their athletes and the Rio games!
Today, we played against the Serbian team. Serbia was a dark horse in last summer's European Championships, losing early preliminary games but ultimately upsetting some more favored teams to win the championship and automatically qualify for the Olympic tournament. I was responsible for the Serbia scout, so I watched several of their games from last summer and their games so far in the Olympics. After hours of live scouting, cutting game film, and working with Dawn Staley to collaborate on a game plan, I was eager for the game to start. I think we have the strongest team in the tournament, but Serbia has proven they can win big games, and play a style that is hard for us to defend. Right from the tip, Diana Taurasi asserted herself in the way very few others can, breaking her own USA Basketball record for 3 pointers in a game with 6, and the USA ran away to a 110-84 victory.
This team continues to impress me! It feels like we have been together for so much longer than we have, but it has been less than 20 days! The women of Team USA deserve all the credit: they are a selfless and dedicated group of women, all still with their eyes on the gold!
Til next time, Raise High and Go USA! -Coach Rizz
Blog #7 - August 7
After a few days of getting to enjoy the sun and sights of Brazil, Team USA and I got back to business to prepare for our Olympic opener against Senegal. We had seven players score in double figures, with Diana Taurasi, Silvia Fowles, Breanna Stewart, and Brittany Griner leading the way to a decisive 121-56 victory over the AfroBasket Champions.
One of the best parts about working with USA Basketball is the overall commitment to excellence, and the great individuals who help make up a really great team. On the court, WNBA Champions and All-Stars combine seamlessly to compete for their country, and have won the last five gold medals in the process.
Elena Delle Donne, a really nice kid with a strong desire to win, is the reigning WNBA MVP - and she comes off the bench for the Olympic team! It takes a really special player to be an Olympian. She has to be extremely talented, coachable, selfless, willing to work hard for her teammates, and proud to represent herself and the United States both on and off the court. We have been saying all along that we think we have the best possible team capable of winning a gold medal. What you saw today is only the tip of the iceberg!
The athletes are spectacular, but the coaches and staff are really the best in the game. Carol Callan has been the director of the Women's National Team for more than 20 years, and the success USA Basketball has enjoyed during that time is no accident. She works hard everyday, including many late nights and early mornings, to ensure that the USA is in the best position to be successful. Coach Auriemma continues to prove that unselfish play and smart basketball can bring a team tremendous success. Dawn Staley, a three time gold medalist with Team USA and now the head coach at South Carolina, brings her savvy playing experience and leadership to the squad. Doug Bruno, a thirty year veteran as the head coach at DePaul, is as smart and selfless as they come. Jamelle Elliott, my former college roommate, brings a ton of energy to every practice (some things never change!). And Cheryl Reeve, 3-time WNBA Champ with the Minnesota Lynx, has seen success at every level of basketball. In fact, some of that success came at GW! She had some great things to say about her time at Foggy Bottom:
"My time at GW was some of my favorite, as a coach! The city, the academics, the recruiting, the hard work we put in...helped us be really successful! So we kept working, and we went from a .500 team to ranked 6th in the country in 5 years. But really, you win with good people - and I didn't have that everywhere. I had that at GW, we've got it in Minnesota, and we have it here with the National Team." - Cheryl Reeve
The wins and the losses are always what we talk about, but the people help make this journey so amazing. We had a great start to Olympic play, and we are eager to get back to work tomorrow against Spain, in a rematch of the 2014 World Championship final. Check back soon for some more updates from Rio!
Til then, raise high the red, white, buff, and blue! -Coach Rizz
Past & present of GW Hoops! @JenRizzotti with former GW assistant and @minnesotalynx HC @LynxCoachReeve #RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/O7hy9t9RJW
-- GW Womens Basketball (@GW_WBB) August 7, 2016
Great way to start! #RoadtoGold #Rio2016 @usabasketball 🇺🇸🏅 pic.twitter.com/uKNlt5ziCV
-- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 7, 2016
Blog #6 - August 5
Greetings from Rio! We have had an exciting first few days in Brazil, including some really beautiful weather. It's winter in the Southern Hemisphere, but Brazilian winters are very warm, so we are definitely making the most of the sunshine and the breathtaking sights in the city! I also want to be very clear that we are very safe: Rio is such a fun and beautiful place, and the locals have been so gracious in helping us get around.
After we arrived from USOC Processing in Houston, we transferred to our hotel onboard the luxury Silver Cloud cruise ship, and then we had our first practice! Brazilian sports club RC Flamengo is hosting Team USA, so the Women's National Team had a chance to use their facility to review some offensive and defensive concepts after the 10 hour flight. After practice, it was back to the ship for dinner and a chance to relax - and work on the scouting report for our Olympic opener.
With different media and team responsibilities throughout the first few days, those of us not competing as athletes or on the official coaching staff have been lucky to have some free time to explore city. In between studying Olympic opponents like Senegal and Serbia, a small group of us ate lunch by the water, visited Copacabana Beach, and taught ourselves how to use the public transportation. We ate dinner at the famous Jockey Club, and used our best Portuguese vocabulary to catch a ride home.
Today, a true off day with no practice or team responsibilities, a small group of us made the trek up Corcodova to visit Christ the Redeemer. We took an hour cab ride, waited in line for almost another hour, and climbed over 200 steps (Coach Bruno from DePaul actually counted!) but the panoramic views of Rio were definitely worth the trip. Later at night, the whole support staff gathered with the athletes' friends and families, along with some partners at the NBA, to watch our athletes march in the Opening Ceremonies for the 2016 Olympic Games.
We are just getting started on what has already been a very exciting journey in Rio. All of the athletes, coaches, and staff are eager to start competitive play. The USA is hungry for gold - it would be the Women's National Team's 6th consecutive - and we are all ready to help them get there. Check back here for more updates from Team USA!
Raise High, from Rio! -Coach Rizz
Last day of freedom before all the work starts so not a bad view to start my day! #rio2016 @usabasketball pic.twitter.com/8oyrXgPrn6
-- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 5, 2016
Copacabana.......what a beach ☀️🏖 #Rio2016 #RoadtoGold 🏅🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/rce3vQGdjf
-- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 4, 2016
Sight-seeing crew! @kdemillionaire @JamelleElliott #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/JV9EUBYjXo
-- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) August 5, 2016
Blog #5 - August 1
We arrived in Houston today after an exciting win over Australia last night at Madison Square Garden. They are a very likely candidate to be our toughest competition on route to our sixth consecutive Gold Medal in Women's Basketball at the Olympics. So it was a good opportunity to see them early and get a feel for their strengths and how we are going to need to use our size, depth and talent to wear them out over the course of 40 mins.
It was a terrific team win once again with Elena DellaDonne scoring 17 first half points and Angel McCoughtry making some exciting plays in transition. But the second half belonged to the Phoenix Mercury duo of Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi. Dee was on fire from the outside and BG won the battle against Australia's 6'8" Elizabeth Cambage inside. Geno Auriemma was both impressed with Australia's execution but also very happy with our resiliency and toughness. It was a great way to end our US Exhibition Tour 3-0.
The team gets processed today by the USOC so they are currently picking up their Opening Ceremony outfits and then we'll head over to watch the Men's Olympic Team play tonight vs. Nigeria. Tomorrow night we head back to the airport and make the 9 hour trip south to Brazil for our final destination. Rio- here we come!! My next blog will be from the 2016 Summer Olympics!
Nice to have a front row view 👌🏼😜 Up 6 at the half. It's a good one! @usabasketball #RoadToRio2016 pic.twitter.com/DWxMQTkoUC
-- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) July 31, 2016
Most famous arena in the world! We're up next USA vs Australia 4pm @usabasketball #RoadtoRio2016 pic.twitter.com/4YfKqWFL20
-- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) July 31, 2016
Blog #4 - July 27
"Heading over to the arena early to watch Australia play Canada at 5pm. It will give us a good live look at our next two opponents. Then we take on France at 7:30pm. It was my scout with Dawn Staley so there's a little extra anxiety about how prepared we are. I'll be back to report after the game.............. What a game! We started out a little slow and were only up two at the half but then had an 18-point lead after three quarters and never looked back. I thought our defensive intensity was so much better than it was on Monday and as usual we shared the ball well with 21 assists. We have a lot of room for improvement but seeing as this is only our second game and we've only been together a few days, it was a great result. France will be most likely be one of the teams in Rio competing for a medal. They have a great group of veterans back from their World Champonship team but have mixed in a few young players that have given them some great energy. Unfortunately for them, Tina Charles dominated the paint and Sue Bird picked them apart with her eight assists. However, it was our second unit with Lindsay Whalen, Angel McCoughtry and Sylvia Fowles really changed the complexion of the game with their defense. Overall a great team win. On to Bridgeport tomorrow to get ready for Canada!"
Blog #3 - July 25
"Great game tonight between our USA Basketball Women's National Team and the USA Select Team! I'm excited that the future is so bright as so many of the plays down the stretch were made not just by young members of the Select Team but by Breanna Stewart, who made the game winning bucket, and Maya Moore, who made the free throws to seal the deal. It's exciting to be part of the process as our staff strategizes about defensive philosophies and player rotations on a team full of WNBA All-Stars. The key is when the players figure out how to be dominate in the game without necessarily being the leading scorer, like they are so used to being on their own teams. It's fun to watch players like Sue Bird and Elena DellaDonne make big shots in crucial moments of the game while Lindsay Whalen and Angel McCoutry give us big defensive stops that result in easy conversions. These women understand what it takes to be champions and they are only going to continue to get better as we spend more time together over the next few weeks. But the best part about all of it, is how great they are to be around as people. There are no egos, no attitudes, everyone is coachable, hard-working and truly proud to be representing the United States of America in the 2016 Olympics. What a great group to be a part of!"
Game time baby!! @usabasketball #RoadtoRio2016 pic.twitter.com/HLOpPt43ha
-- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) July 26, 2016
FINAL: USA 88, SEL 84@MooreMaya and @De11eDonne each w 11 points to lead #USABWNT.
Next game: 7/27 vs France pic.twitter.com/GDQjOmC94p-- USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 26, 2016
Blog #2 - July 24
"Second day in LA! The team had an awesome NIKE Photo Shoot this morning. I can't wait to see the final product! I got a bunch of scouting done for our Exhibition Game vs France on Wednesday. And now I'm heading into practice. Getting ourselves ready for the Select Team Exhibition game tomorrow. I'll try and send some photos of the men's game vs China tonight so follow me on Twitter if you want to see them, @JenRizzotti"
Good first practice today! Now it's time to work on my scout 🇺🇸 💪🏼#RoadtoRio2016 @usabasketball pic.twitter.com/V3UsBm1EL9
-- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) July 24, 2016
Blog #1 - July 23
"I just dropped off my two 50-pound bags and checked in for my flight to Los Angeles. I am heading out to meet the Olympic team and staff today. We'll have a practice tonight and another one tomorrow morning. Tomorrow night we'll have a chance to check out the Men's Olympic team when they take on China in an exhibition game at STAPLES Center. I'm very excited to get this journey started!"
The Journey begins! #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/sHmMEDwS1b
-- Jennifer Rizzotti (@JenRizzotti) July 23, 2016
