University of Connecticut Athletics
Olivia Vukosa Earns 2026 Gatorade National Girls Player of the Year
3/19/2026 7:40:00 PM | Women's Basketball
CHICAGO – Incoming UConn women's basketball freshman Olivia Vukosa was selected as the 2025-26 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
Vukosa is a two-time Gatorade New York Girls Basketball Player of the Year (2024-25, 2025-26).
The 6-foot-5 senior post player averaged 17.8 points, 18.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.4 blocks this past season, leading Christ the King (22-6) to the Catholic High School Athletic Association state championship game.
A finalist for the 2026 Naismith Award, Vukosa is a McDonald's All-American Game selection and a member of the Croatian Women's National Team. She's ranked as the nation's No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2026 by ESPN.
Vukosa was named to the 2026 Naismith Girls' High School All-America Second Team.
Vukosa made her Senior National Team debut earlier this month at the FIBA Women's EuroBasket Qualifiers. She averaged 11.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists. She played for the U20 team last summer.
Vukosa has volunteered locally as a peer tutor in math and science, and she has supervised campus tours for prospective students and their families. She has also donated her time as a youth basketball coach.
Vukosa is the 12th player in UConn history to be Gatorade National Girls Player of the Year, joining Tamika Williams (1998), Ann Strother (2002), Tina Charles (2006), Maya Moore (2007), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (2011), Breanna Stewart (2012), Katie Lou Samuelson (2015), Megan Walker (2017), Christyn Williams (2018), Azzi Fudd (2019) and Paige Bueckers (2020).
