Olivia Vukosa, ranked No. 3 overall in the high school class of 2026, committed to UConn on Tuesday.
Vukosa is also the No. 1 player in ESPN’s high school rankings. A 6-foot-4 center from Whitestone, N.Y., chose the defending champion Huskies over LSU, Ohio State, South Carolina and Texas.
Vukosa has played for Croatia in FIBA competitions, including the 2024 Women’s World Cup. She averaged 15.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game for Croatia during the 2025 U20 EuroBasket B Division.
Vukosa attends Christ the King High School in the New York borough of Queens, a school that sent legends Sue Bird and Tina Charles to UConn. In a statement to ESPN, she cited the track record of that pipeline and coach Geno Auriemma as reasons for her decision.
“Another big factor was UConn’s location; it makes it easy for my family to come and support me no matter the game or time,” Vukosa said. “Ultimately, what sealed my decision was how I felt about the team. When I visited, the players welcomed me like I was already part of the family, and that sense of belonging really made UConn feel like home.”
The top two recruits in the class are guard Saniyah Hall and forward Oliviyah Edwards, previously committed to Southern California and Tennessee, respectively.
–Field level media
