URI Women's Basketball Coach Joins Team USA Coaching Staff

The explosion of women’s basketball in mainstream media over the last few years has been exciting to watch and all eyes will undoubtedly be on Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Between the 5x5 and 3x3 rosters, stars like Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum, and Hailey Van Lith will be representing the nation under the guidance of the country’s top coaches.

For the 3x3 team, a former professional basketball player, New York native, and current coach for the University of Rhode Island will take on the role of assistant coach.

Her name is Tammi Reiss and she is no stranger to winning.

Get our free mobile app

Who is Tammi Reiss?

New Yorker Tammi Reiss is a two-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and has been the head coach of URI’s Women’s Basketball since 2019.

Before her tenure as head coach, she was carving a career of her own at the University of Virginia where she became a three-time all-American. The star was drafted to the Utah Starzz in 1997 as the fifth overall pick and would spend her entire WNBA career with the organization.

Reiss led URI to its first conference title in 2023 and credits her “champion behavior” as her secret weapon for success.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Harrington School (@uriharringtonschool)

“For me, success is the accomplishment of an aim, of purpose… Every day I am teaching my student-athletes how to become champions—in their behavior. My staff and I want to build that culture, to make them believe they are champions before they become champions,” she said to URI’s Marybeth Reilly-McGreen.

Tammi Reiss Tapped as Assistant Coach for Team USA

Reiss’s run with the Olympic team began in 2022 when she was invited to help with Olympic trials in Springfield.

“I spent a week up in Springfield, learned the game, and ever since I’ve been with Jen (Rizzotti) every summer, and I got in the pipeline,” said Reiss to WJAR.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rhode Island Athletics (@gorhodyrams)

For Reiss, the opportunity to coach the Olympic team is a chance to fulfill a dream she has had since the sixth grade--to represent her country and bring home gold.

Catch the first Women’s 3x3 Olympic game against Germany on July 30^th at 11:30 am EDT.

The 2024 Summer Olympics kicks off in Paris on Friday, July 26^th.

GO USA!

Best SouthCoast School Districts For Athletes

There are lots of different ways to rank SouthCoast schools, student-to-teacher ratio, test score results and more. Though for hundreds of student-athletes, one way may mean more than others.

New school data from across the state has ranked schools by their sports programs and here is how school districts on the SouthCoast stack up.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall