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Honorary Draft Picks:❤️Gianna Bryant❤️ #mambacita ❤️ Alyssa Altobelli and Peyton Chester❤️ class of 2024

A post shared by Vanessa Bryant 🦋 (@vanessabryant) on Apr 17, 2020 at 8:27am PDT

Gianna Bryant, the second daughter of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant, seemed poised to follow in her father's footsteps. A basketball phenom, she reportedly dreamed of playing the sport at the University of Connecticut before going pro.

Two days after her death, the UConn's women's basketball team placed a No. 2 jersey — Gianna Bryant's number — with flowers on their bench during a game against USA Basketball. The team shared a photo of the tribute on social media, and captioned it, \"Mambacita is forever a Husky.\"

In a video played during the WNBA draft, Vanessa Bryant, 37, thanked the organization for honoring Gigi and her teammates, as did Chester's father and Altobelli's siblings.

\"It would've been a dream come true for her,\" Vanessa Bryant said. \"She worked tirelessly every single day. She wanted to be one of the greatest athletes of all time, just like her daddy.\"

Video: This is the story of Kobe Bryant’s life

The WNBA also named an award in honor of the father and daughter duo Friday called the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award. It will be given annually to an individual, or group, who made a significant contribution to the \"visibility, perception and advancement\" of women's basketball.

\"Kobe was an incredible champion of women’s basketball and Gianna shared his passion and dedication to our game,\" said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a statement. \"The Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award will honor their legacy and reflect Kobe’s commitment to mentoring the next generation of players, promoting the game and giving back to the community.\"

Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu went No. 1 overall to the New York Liberty in the 2020 draft. Ionescu had developed a close relationship with Kobe Bryant, and Gigi, and spoke at the Los Angeles memorial service honoring the late Lakers star.

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