Connecticut Sun President Jennifer Rizzotti confirmed Monday she is packing her bags and heading to Houston, officially relocating with the team this offseason. The Sun’s tenure in Connecticut is wrapping up Thursday, making way for the big move, and Rizzotti is staying right in the thick of it, retaining her role as president.
A Legend Sticks With Her Squad
Talk about commitment, right? Rizzotti, a former UConn women’s basketball superstar, has been the Sun’s president since April 2021. Now, she is taking her leadership to Texas. CT Insider reported last week that fellow former Husky and Sun general manager Morgan Tuck will also be relocating with the team, keeping her GM role. Rizzotti told NBC Connecticut, “Morgan Tuck and I also started this journey five years ago and then two years ago decided we were going to revamp our entire roster, and so we decided we’re gonna go down to Houston together and we’re gonna figure this thing out.” She also said, “As excited as I am about the next chapter, I do hope all the fans here in Connecticut know that no matter what happens in the future, and if we do get that elusive championship for the Connecticut franchise that is now moving, the fans here will always be a part of that.” It sounds like she’s really feeling the weight of this move.
The Heartbreaking Goodbye for Connecticut
For Rizzotti, this isn’t just a job change; it’s a huge emotional moment. She’s a “Connecticut girl” through and through, born in New York but raised in New Fairfield. From 1992 to 1996, she helped put UConn on the map, leading the program to its first national championship in 1995. She wrapped up her college career as a two-time Kodak All-American and the 1996 Player of the Year. Rizzotti then played for the ABL’s New England Blizzard and was drafted by the Houston Comets in the 1999 WNBA Draft, playing two years there before finishing her career with the Cleveland Rockers, averaging 3.1 points and 1.8 assists. After her playing days, she coached the University of Hartford for 17 years, leading them to six NCAA Tournament appearances and earning America East Coach of the Year three times, then coached George Washington for five years, and was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. Rizzotti has led the Sun through two coaching changes, a 2022 WNBA Finals run, their current rebuilding era, and now, this relocation. She promoted Tuck to lead GM in December 2024 and has been huge in community impact efforts. She admitted, “It’s been hard to talk about because I want to be sensitive to the fact that this is emotional for all of us, to be losing this team and for me, as a Connecticut girl, to know what this state has meant for me and the platform this state has given me to be able to flourish in my career.”
It’s clear Rizzotti is all-in on this next chapter in Houston, aiming to build on the foundation laid in Connecticut. The future of the Sun in Houston promises to be a wild ride, and you just know Rizzotti is ready to figure it out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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