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UConn commit Olivia Vukosa with father Damir (left) and mother Jenny (right)\u00a0at Christ the King High in Queens, N.Y. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. Vukosa begins her summer session at UConn on Monday, June 1, 2026.<\/p>\n
Maggie Vanoni\/Hearst Connecticut Media<\/p>\n
Olivia Vukosa\u2019s UConn women\u2019s basketball<\/a> career unofficially begins Friday.<\/p>\n Her parents\u2019 car will soon be packed and overflowing with not only Vukosa\u2019s <\/a>collection of Husky gear <\/a>but all the necessities for college life \u2013 bedspreads, room decorations and bathroom accessories included. Once the boxes are stuffed and taped tight and the goodbyes are said, the Vukosa family will make the two-hour drive north from Queens, N.Y. to drop Vukosa off at her new home.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Once in Storrs, Damir and Jenny, Vukosa\u2019s parents, will help her unload and unpack. They\u2019ll meet her new coaches, teammates and team staff before heading back home, knowing all they\u2019ve sacrificed \u2013 the long days in the gym, the trainer and camp expenses, the travel and chaotic lifestyle of one of the nation\u2019s top high school players \u2013 has all led up to this point.<\/p>\n \u201cAll the hard work that she’s done, all the sleepless nights and the early mornings and tough practices, and everything else; I think that all paid off,\u201d Damir told CT Insider in a phone interview on Tuesday. \u201cThis is what she worked for, and this is what she’s done. She worked hard to get to this position, and now she’s going to be a\u00a0UConn Husky, officially.\u201d<\/p>\n Vukosa begins the first steps of her Husky career next week when UConn begins its annual off-season summer workout session. Players report to campus this week and will remain in Storrs for about a month participating in academic courses, team bonding activities and offseason workouts.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Make CT Insider a preferred source on Google to see more of our journalism when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Vukosa was the No. 2-ranked high school recruit in the Class of 2026. The former Christ the King High School star concluded her high school career this spring by earning Gatorade National Player of the Year <\/a>and McDonald\u2019s All-American honors. She spent the past month traveling across the country to various elite camps and All-Star-like games, learning how to be independent and bring her game to the next level.<\/p>\n McDonalds High School All American center Olivia\u00a0Vukosa (25) poses for a photo on portrait day for the 2026 McDonalds High School All American Games on March 27, 2026, at Renaissance Hotel at Glendale, Arizona.<\/p>\n Icon Sportswire\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n And now in Storrs, she\u2019ll lean on all that she\u2019s learned as she begins this next chapter of her career.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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