She Would’ve Been a College Freshman This Year — and UConn Still Keeps Her Close

Vanessa Bryant shared a deeply emotional message on social media following UConn’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship victory, offering both congratulations and a tender tribute to her daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant. According to US Weekly, Vanessa reposted a celebratory message to her Instagram Story with words that resonated across the sports world.

“Gigi would’ve loved being there with you,” she wrote, honoring her daughter’s long-held dream of one day playing for the Huskies.

She added another message inspired by Gigi’s own competitive spirit:
“When you think you can’t, UConn.”

Gianna Bryant, who passed away tragically at just 13 years old alongside her father Kobe Bryant and seven others in January 2020, was widely recognized as a rising basketball prodigy. Coached by her father on Team Mamba, she possessed the kind of drive, discipline, and natural instinct that led many—including WNBA stars—to believe she had a future in elite college basketball (ESPN). Her ultimate goal: to play at the University of Connecticut.

Kobe himself often spoke of Gigi’s fierce determination.
“She is hellbent on UConn. Bro, she is hellbent on UConn,” he told NBA icon Reggie Miller, emphasizing that this was her dream, not his.

UConn honored that dream almost immediately after her passing. In a powerful gesture during a 2020 tribute game, the team placed a white Huskies jersey—emblazoned with her No. 2—on an empty seat at the bench. “Always a Husky,” the team wrote, a message that spread globally across social media and became one of the most shared memorial moments in college sports that year (Sports Illustrated).

As Vanessa Bryant celebrated UConn’s 12th national title, tagging longtime head coach Geno Auriemma, fans, coaches, and players across the country reflected on the loss of Gigi and the bright collegiate career she never got to pursue. Some noted that if life had unfolded differently, this very season might have marked her freshman year on a championship-caliber roster.

UConn star Paige Bueckers, who shared a close relationship with the Bryant family and has often cited Kobe’s mentorship throughout her career (Los Angeles Times), spoke openly about how present the Bryants felt throughout the tournament.

“There have been times this whole weekend and throughout the whole tournament that I feel like God has really shown himself,” Bueckers said. “My mom staying in Room 824, which is both of Kobe’s numbers… it’s just been a very blessed year. Win or lose, it’s been a very blessed year. But I feel like God’s presence has really been showing out. In little things, you just see his presence so palpable. Yes, Kobe’s watching over us. Gigi’s watching over us.”

Her words echoed what many fans have felt for years—that both Kobe and Gigi remain woven into the fabric of women’s basketball. Kobe’s unwavering support of the WNBA and women’s sports as a whole was well documented (USA Today), and Gigi’s passion made her a symbol of the sport’s future.

If timelines had aligned differently, Gigi Bryant might have been part of this year’s championship-winning Huskies squad—possibly even sharing the court with athletes she admired.

Though she is not physically here, her spirit, her talent, and her determination continue to shine. And as every season passes, her dream of UConn remains honored not just by the Bryant family, but by the entire women’s basketball community she inspired.

May her essence—and the eternal Mamba Mentality—continue to light the path for future generations of young hoopers.