Christ the King star Olivia Vukosa was named one of the three finalists for the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year Award on March 13, while she was in Europe playing for the Croatia national team in the 2026 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Qualifiers.
The 17-year-old senior forward from Whitestone has committed to play for the University of Connecticut (UConn) is a McDonald’s All American, Naismith Award semifinalist and New York State Player of the Year, while maintaining a 99.4 weighted GPA.
“She’s just a great kid, an outstanding student athlete, she’s one of the top academic students in the school,” Christ the King head coach Bob Mackey told QNS. “For the last four years, she’s been the kind of rock that we are anchored to. She’s a great kid to coach, she listens, and she’s easily one of the nicest young women you would ever want to meet.”
During his more than three decades coaching at the Middle Village basketball powerhouse, Mackey has coached All Americans and future WNBA legends such as Sue Bird, Chamique Holdsclaw and Tina Charles. Vukosa will follow Bird and Charles to Storrs to play for UConn coach Geno Auriemma next year.
“Well, she’s following her own path, but yes, those are some pretty good footsteps right there to follow on,” Mackey said. “She is a different type of player. She’s been very imposing at 6’5” and she’s been a center for us, but I think she’ll be shifting to power forward at college.”
Vukosa, the No. 3-ranked recruit in the Class of 2026, committed to UConn in October, after she was heavily recruited by Ohio State, LSU, South Carolina and Texas.
“We think Olivia is one of those players that we’ve had so much success with,” Auriemma said after she signed with UConn. “She’s a big kid who can move, she has skills, she’s smart. She works really hard at both ends of the floor. She comes from a great program. I think she’s the kind of basketball big kid that the game demands today. She’s a terrific kid and comes from a great family. We’re really lucky, and we’re excited to have her here.”
Mackey could confirm that.
“She’s been raised very well and her parents are great,” he said of Damir and Jenny Vukosa. “Her parents were born here, but her grandparents are from Croatia, so she has dual citizenship. So it’s kind of a special and neat thing, living in Whitestone while running back and forth from Croatia every couple of months to play for their national team is just a credit to her.”
