Jennifer Azzi
Encyclopedia
Jennifer Lynn Azzi (born on August 31, 1968, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
) is the head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of San Francisco
. Azzi is a former collegiate and professional basketball
player.
and played point guard
for Stanford University
's women's basketball team from 1987 to 1990. During her four years at Stanford, the Cardinal
compiled a 101-23 win-loss record, and captured two Pac-10 titles.
During her senior year (1990), Azzi led the Cardinal to win the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
, defeating Auburn University
.
Her individual accomplishments include:
She graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor's Degree
in Economics
.
Jennifer Azzi went to middle school at Jefferson Junior High, in Oak Ridge, TN.
-winning U.S. women's basketball team at the 1994 Goodwill Games
, which was held in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
She also won a gold medal while playing for the U.S. women's basketball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta, Georgia
.
She was one of six core players selected for the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney, Australia, but she withdrew herself from consideration to avoid the extensive touring.
when she joined the San Jose Lasers
of the American Basketball League
(ABL) from 1996 to 1999. She was one of the cofounders of the league. Her participation in the league ended when the ABL declared bankruptcy on December 22, 1998. Shortly afterward, she started a training camp for adults in San Jose, California
.
in the first round (fifth overall) in the WNBA Draft
. She helped lead the Shock into the playoffs that year.
Just prior to the 2000 season, she was traded to the Utah Starzz
. She remained with the team when the franchise relocated to San Antonio, Texas
and changed its name to the San Antonio Silver Stars
in 2003.
In February 2004, she announced her retirement from professional basketball.
for the 2005-2008 term. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
in 2009.
Azzi is now a motivational speaker
, residing in Mill Valley, California. She also runs a youth basketball camp every summer held at Tamalpais High School
called Azzi Camp.
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about west of Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 27,387 at the 2000 census...
) is the head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
. Azzi is a former collegiate and professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player.
College years
Azzi received a scholarshipScholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
and played point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
for Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
's women's basketball team from 1987 to 1990. During her four years at Stanford, the Cardinal
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
compiled a 101-23 win-loss record, and captured two Pac-10 titles.
During her senior year (1990), Azzi led the Cardinal to win the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
, defeating Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
.
Her individual accomplishments include:
- Named to the Kodak All-AmericaAll-AmericaAn All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
First Team in 1989 and 1990. - 1990 recipient of the Wade TrophyWade TrophyThe Wade Trophy is an award presented annually to the best women's basketball player in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition. It is named after three–time national champion Delta State University coach Lily Margaret Wade. The award debuted in 1978 as the first–ever...
and Naismith AwardNaismith College Player of the YearThe Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
. - NCAANational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Final FourFinal fourFinal Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
Most Valuable Player (MVP), and the West Region MVP in 1990. - Pac-10 Player of the Year award in 1989 and 1990.
- Three time All-Pac 10 First Team selection
She graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
.
Jennifer Azzi went to middle school at Jefferson Junior High, in Oak Ridge, TN.
International competition
Azzi was a member of the gold medalGold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
-winning U.S. women's basketball team at the 1994 Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
, which was held in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
She also won a gold medal while playing for the U.S. women's basketball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
.
She was one of six core players selected for the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney, Australia, but she withdrew herself from consideration to avoid the extensive touring.
ABL career
Azzi began her professional basketball career playing in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when she joined the San Jose Lasers
San Jose Lasers
The San Jose Lasers were a women's professional basketball team in San Jose, California. It was a member of the American Basketball League.The team folded along with the rest of the league during the third ABL season in 1998....
of the American Basketball League
American Basketball League (1996-1998)
The American Basketball League, often abbreviated to the ABL of 1996 was an independent professional basketball league for women in the United States. At the same time the ABL was being formed, the National Basketball Association was creating the Women's National Basketball Association...
(ABL) from 1996 to 1999. She was one of the cofounders of the league. Her participation in the league ended when the ABL declared bankruptcy on December 22, 1998. Shortly afterward, she started a training camp for adults in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
.
WNBA career
In 1999, Azzi was selected by the Detroit ShockDetroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
in the first round (fifth overall) in the WNBA Draft
WNBA Draft
The WNBA Draft is an annual draft held by the WNBA through which WNBA teams can select new players from a talent pool of college and professional women's basketball players. The first WNBA draft was held in 1997...
. She helped lead the Shock into the playoffs that year.
Just prior to the 2000 season, she was traded to the Utah Starzz
Utah Starzz
The Utah Starzz were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They began play in the 1997 WNBA season as one of the league's eight original teams. The Starzz relocated, in 2003, to San Antonio, Texas where the team became the San Antonio Silver Stars...
. She remained with the team when the franchise relocated to San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
and changed its name to the San Antonio Silver Stars
San Antonio Silver Stars
The San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio...
in 2003.
In February 2004, she announced her retirement from professional basketball.
Coaching career
Azzi became the head coach of the Women's Basketball team at the University of San Francisco in 2010.Other Activities
Azzi served on the Board of Directors of USA BasketballUSA Basketball
USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States Olympic Committee...
for the 2005-2008 term. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors men and women who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA...
in 2009.
Azzi is now a motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
, residing in Mill Valley, California. She also runs a youth basketball camp every summer held at Tamalpais High School
Tamalpais High School
Tamalpais High School is a public secondary school located in Mill Valley, California. It is named after nearby Mount Tamalpais, which rises more than above Mill Valley....
called Azzi Camp.
External links
- Official Website
- Azzi Training and Fitness Camps
- WNBA Player Profile
- ABL Player Profile
- WNBA Press Release on Azzi's retirement
- San Antonio Silver Stars farewell tribute to Azzi
- October 7, 2005 San Francisco Chronicle article on Azzi's life after basketball
- July 2007 "Marin Magazine" Article on Azzi's life in Marin
- Fan Page (Note: last updated in 2001)