Sports
Basketball Recruit Ranked No. 3 Nationally Commits To UConn Women
UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma Wednesday announced the signing of center Olivia Vukosa.
STORRS, Conn. – UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma Wednesday announced the signing of center Olivia Vukosa to the recruiting class of 2026 Wednesday.
A 6-foot-4 native of Whitestone, N.Y., Vukosa is the No. 3-ranked player on ESPN's SportsCenter NEXT 100 list. Earlier on Wednesday, Vukosa was named to the 2025-26 Naismith Trophy Girls High School Player of the Year Watch List.
"We think Olivia is one of those players that we've had so much success with," Auriemma said. "She's a big kid who can move, she has skills, she's smart. She works really hard at both ends of the floor. She comes from a great program. I think she's the kind of basketball big kid that the game demands today. She's a terrific kid and comes from a great family. We're really lucky, and we're excited to have her here.”
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Vukosa attends high school at New York's Christ the King, where UConn greats Sue Bird and Tina Charles attended. As a junior in 2024-25, she averaged 19.4 points, 17.9 rebounds, 5.5 blocks and 3.8 assists per game. Vukosa led Christ the King to a Catholic High School Athletic Association Tier 1 New York City Tournament title.
Vukosa was selected as the 2024-25 Gatorade New York Girls Basketball Player of the Year and the 2024-25 New York MaxPreps High School Girls Basketball player of the Year.
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Internationally, Vukosa represents Croatia, where both sets of her grandparents are from. She made her national team debut at the 2023 FIBA U16 Women's European Championship, where she was named to the All-Star 5 and averaged 22.6 points and 17.1 rebounds per game.
At the 2024 FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup, Vukosa averaged 19.4 points and 15.6 rebounds and earned Best Defensive Player and All-Star Second Team honors. She helped lead Croatia to a third-place finish at the 2025 FIBA U120 Women’s Basketball Division B tournament, averaging 15.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
Vukosa is the daughter of Damir and Jenny. She has three sisters: Mateja, Maddy and Gabby.
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