The late Gianna Bryant was a huge UConn fan and dreamed of playing for the Huskies, and her mom, Vanessa Bryant, mourned her death after they won a 12th national championship

As UConn celebrated winning the women's NCAA basketball championship on Sunday, April 6, the loss of Kobe Bryant's daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Bryant, was felt by members of the sports community. Gigi, who died at the age of 13 in January 2020 in a helicopter crash that also took the life of her NBA star father,

Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa has this week opened up on the tragic impact that losing both the basketball star and their teenage daughter Gigi in a devastating 2020 helicopter crash has had on the rest of her life. The 42-year-old's latest statement was prompted by the University of Connecticut Huskies' recent victory at the 2025 NCAA championships.