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Olivia Vukosa has been named the 2026 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year, becoming the first UConn commit to win it since Paige Bueckers in 2021. The award, which honors "the nation's best high school athletes for their excellence in sport, academics and community," has been won by three Hall of Famers, 17 WNBA first-round draft picks, national champions and more. What made it even more special was the award being delivered by Diana Taurasi, who won three national championships with the Huskies before taking over the WNBA as the all-time leading scorer.

"I didn't even see the trophy," Vukosa told CBS Sports. "I didn't see anyone. I saw her through the door and I started crying. It's definitely a surreal experience and something I'm definitely going to cherish forever… She's someone I've looked up to for a long, long time and it just doesn't feel real. It feels like a dream."

The 6-foot-4 New York native is the No. 4 player in the 247Sports class of 2026 rankings. She averaged 19.4 points, 17.9 rebounds, 5.5 blocks and 3.8 assists per game during her junior year at Christ the King, the Queens high school that boasts alumni including Sue Bird and Tina Charles. Vukosa is not a traditional big and the versatility she brings to the table is part of what makes Taurasi excited about her potential.

"I think when you talk about the way Olivia plays basketball, it's the new generation. It's the positionless, it's having all the skills on the court," Taurasi told CBS Sports. "I don't think it's good enough just to be good at one thing anymore, and I think Olivia shows that when she's on the court.

"Her IQ, her footwork, her great hands. I think when you play with great players, can they make things that are really hard look easy? She does that, and that's a testament to her work ethic, on and off the court the way she works. I think when she's on the court, it's hard to know what she's going to do next because she's just as great a passer as she is a scorer... I think those are the type of players that I love to watch and that have the future ahead of them that's gonna be amazing."

Up next? Vukosa will play under Geno Auriemma, who has turned UConn into the most successful program in basketball history with 12 NCAA Tournament trophies. Taurasi, who played for him from 2000-04, still credits his brutal honesty in telling her the things she didn't necessarily want to hear but needed to in order to reach her full potential.

That level of honesty is something Vukosa also valued when making her decision to join the Huskies. However, it was not just Auriemma keeping it real that earned her commitment: she got a strong recommendation from UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey too.

Despite her credentials, Vukosa admitted she was surprised when she realized UConn was interested in her. The first time she saw Auriemma attending one of her games, she incorrectly assumed he was there for somebody else. 

"I think it was the first session of the EYBL season," she said. "I saw him on our court and my first thought was that he wasn't there for me at all and that he was there for someone else, and if I played good I got lucky."

Vukoa didn't just capture Auriemma's attention; she also got a very enthusiastic offer.

"That car ride home, him talking to me and saying that you have an offer and you should take it right now, that's definitely my first impression of him," she recounted. "But like (Taurasi) said, he is a great guy. A great person on and off the court and he also reminded me the most of the coaches I have at Christ the King."

Choosing UConn means Vukoa will be on the same roster as Sarah Strong, last year's national Freshman of the Year and a top POY candidate this season. They could be a very powerful duo, even the idea of which had Taurasi leaning back in her chair. As for Vukoa, she is already visualizing what it will be like to share the court with Strong.

"Everything," Vukoa answered without hesitation when asked what she liked about Strong's game. "She's just an all-around player and I can't wait to feed her the ball and I hope she is excited to feed me the ball in the post."

No team has won back-to-back championships since UConn's four-peat from 2013 to 2016. The Huskies, the No. 1 overall seed in this year's tournament, are trying to do just that after they beat the South Carolina Gamecocks last year. That journey will begin Saturday afternoon against UTSA.