Vanessa Bryant’s Heartbreaking 8-Word Reaction to UConn Win
The UConn Huskies celebrated their 12th national championship on April 6 — their first in nine years. Following the NCAA final in Tampa, FL, Vanessa Bryant took to social media to react.
"Gigi would have loved being there with you," she wrote on her Instagram Stories, referring to her daughter, Gianna Bryant, who died in January 2020.
"When you think you can't, UCONN," Vanessa Bryant added — something her daughter once said. She went on to congratulate the team, tagging coach Geno Auriemma as well as the official UConn women's basketball team Instagram account. Said account features Gigi Bryant's aforementioned quote in its bio.
Gigi Bryant had been following in her father Kobe Bryant's footsteps and had developed a love for basketball. It was her dream to attend UConn and to become a Husky. That dream was dashed when Gianna Bryant was killed alongside her father in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA.
On January 27, just one day after the tragic helicopter crash, UConn paid tribute to Gianna Bryant by making her an honorary member of the women's basketball team.
Mambacita is forever a Husky ???? pic.twitter.com/3wdAbdK0Ye
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) January 27, 2020
"Mambacita is forever a Husky," read the caption of a photo posted on X. The team had made a jersey for Gianna Bryant with the number "2" — the jersey number she chose when she started playing basketball. The jersey was draped over a chair with a bouquet of flowers on the seat.
Many social media users praised the university and the team for the touching tribute.
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