USA Women’s Basketball coach Dawn Staley will enter the 2020 Olympics with the same coaching staff who helped her win gold at the 2018 FIBA World Cup.
After helping guide the 2018 USA Basketball Women’s National Team to an overall 12-0 record, USA Basketball has selected Dan Hughes (Seattle Storm), Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx) and Jennifer Rizzotti (George Washington) to return as assistant coaches for the USA National Team through the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
News: Dan Hughes, @LynxCoachReeve & @JenRizzotti return as USA Women’s National Team assistants for @dawnstaley through @Tokyo2020
»» https://t.co/zy8CQ4GHtY#USABWNT pic.twitter.com/zhO4fg3lU8
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) June 20, 2019
“I’m extremely excited to have Cheryl, Dan and Jennifer return as assistant coaches to the USA National Team staff for the 2020 Olympics,” said USA head coach Dawn Staley (South Carolina). “Chemistry was an important part of our success at the 2018 World Cup, and we worked well together. Each of them has impressive resumes and prior USA Basketball experience. Cheryl and Dan are veteran coaches who are great teachers of the game having won a combined five WNBA Championship titles. Jennifer has experienced success as a player and coach and knows what it takes to win. They all have a strong work ethic and are respected by our players. I am ecstatic to have these three proven and accomplished coaches on the bench alongside me providing leadership and representing our country on the world stage.”
“This set of coaches worked well together with Dawn during the 2018 FIBA World Cup,” said Carol Callan, chair of the USA Women’s National Team Steering Committee and USA Basketball Women’s National Team director. “Additionally, each coach has served USA Basketball for so many years that they understand the culture, the players and what it takes to win on the grandest stage. These coaches are the obvious choice by the steering committee to assist Dawn and our USA National Team through 2020.”
Current members of the 2019-20 USA National Team include a combination of future Hall of Famers, past Olympic gold winners and rising stars of the WNBA, but the 2017-20 USA National Team roster will be fluid. It is expected that the official, 12-member 2020 U.S. Olympic Team will be comprised of players from the 2019-20 USA National Team.
Hughes, Reeve, and Rizzotti were selected by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Steering Committee and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors. Their selections as members of the 2020 U.S. Olympic delegation are pending approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Team USA are the overwhelming favorites to repeat as gold medal winners in the 2020 Olympics, having won 8 of the past 9 Women’s basketball Olympic Gold medals. They have no equals in this space.
