Jennifer Rizzotti, Joe Lewandowski picked as USA Basketball 3-on-3 coaches for Paris Olympics

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — USA Basketball announced Thursday that Jennifer Rizzotti will coach the defending Olympic gold medalist women’s 3×3 team at this year’s Paris Games, and that Joe Lewandowski will coach the American men’s team in that sport.

Rizzotti will be assisted by Tammi Reiss. Lewandowski will be assisted by James Fraschilla. Rosters for the men’s and women’s 3×3 teams will likely be finalized sometime this spring.

“Two accomplished coaches will lead our 3×3 efforts in Paris,” USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said. “We are grateful to Jen and Joe for their ongoing commitments to USA Basketball and proud to have the opportunity for both 3×3 teams to compete at the Olympic Games.”

Lewandowski has been involved with USA Basketball’s 3×3 efforts for a decade, and last year led the U.S. to gold at the Pan American Games and silver at the World Cup.

“There is no greater honor than representing your country and wearing USA across your chest at the Olympic Games,” Lewandowski said. “This is incredibly humbling.”

Rizzotti coached three gold-medal-winning women’s 3×3 teams for the U.S. last year alone — at the World Cup, at AmeriCup and at the PanAm Games. She won gold as an assistant coach to Dawn Staley at the 5-on-5 level at the Tokyo Olympics, and chairs the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Committee that will select the roster for the Paris Games in 5-on-5.

“I am absolutely honored to be continuing my USA Basketball journey as the head coach of the 2024 USA 3×3 Women’s National Team,” Rizzotti said. “It has been the joy of my career to coach athletes who are representing our country on the biggest stage at the Olympic Games.”

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AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games