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In his post-basketball playing days, Kobe Bryant was one of women's basketball's biggest advocates and the coach of his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant. The two were fixtures at some of the biggest women's basketball games, with the late Hall of Fame shooting guard trying to show his daughter the best and brightest the game had to offer.

Often, that meant UConn. And after the Huskies beat South Carolina to win the national title, Vanessa Bryant -- Kobe's wife and Gigi's mom -- took to Instagram with a heartwarming and heartbreaking message to celebrate the Huskies' title.

UConn's emphatic national championship win over South Carolina could mark the start of another Huskies dynasty
Jack Maloney
UConn's emphatic national championship win over South Carolina could mark the start of another Huskies dynasty

"Gigi would have loved being there with you," Vanessa Bryant's Instagram stories post reads. "'When you think you can't, UCONN'~Gianna Bryant"

The quote is from a note Gianna wrote the UConn women's team after its Final Four loss in 2017.

Vanessa Bryant followed the message with both heartbreak and heart emojis and congratulations to coach Geno Auriemma and the team.

Kobe and Gianna Bryant -- along with seven others -- died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020 while traveling to a basketball game. Kobe was 41 years old, Gianna 13.

In 2018, a video emerged of Kobe telling Reggie Miller that Gianna wanted to play college basketball at UConn. Arash Markazi, who posted the video originally, re-shared it after UConn's title, its first since 2016. As Markazi notes, this would have been Gianna's freshman year.

Star guard Paige Bueckers noted she felt several connections to the Bryants during the Huskies' run to the title.