NEW YORK — The UConn women’s basketball team landed its first 2026 commitment on Tuesday from five-star Olivia Vukosa, the No. 3 prospect in the class.
Vukosa, a 6-foot-4 forward, chose the Huskies from a final five that also included South Carolina, Texas, LSU and Ohio State. She is UConn’s highest-ranked commitment since redshirt senior Azzi Fudd signed as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2021, and she is the highest-ranked forward the Huskies have landed since Katie Lou Samuelson in 2015.
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UConn has deep ties to Vukosa’s high school Christ the King, the alma mater of Huskies legends Tina Charles and Sue Bird. Vukosa got to spend time with Charles and former UConn center Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who both now play for the Connecticut Sun, while on her official visit to Storrs during the second weekend of October. Vukosa also represents Croatia in FIBA competition and has a relationship with fellow Croatian and former Huskies standout Nika Muhl.
The Queens native averaged 19.2 points and 17.9 rebounds plus 5.5 blocks and 3.8 assists per game in her junior high school season, earning New York’s Gatorade Player of the Year Award. She also competed for Croatia in the 2024 U17 World Cup last summer, averaging 19.4 points, 15.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.7 steals in the tournament.
The Huskies are still in on several other top recruits in the 2026 class, including No. 5 prospect Jerzy Robinson and No. 10 prospect Addison Bjorn. Robinson, a 6-foot guard from Arizona, is reportedly deciding between UConn, LSU, South Carolina and Oregon. Bjorn, a 6-foot-1 guard from Missouri, announced a top 7 that also includes Duke, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Texas.
