Vanessa Bryant Honors Late Daughter Gigi in Moving Tribute to UConn Women’s Basketball Team

When Vanessa—also mom to daughters Natalia, 21, Bianka, 7, and Capri, 4—isn’t continuing Gianna’s support of the team, she’s honoring her legacy with a new sneaker design. Last April, a month before what would’ve been Gigi’s 18th birthday, Vanessa shared a special edition design for the Nike Kobe 8 “Mambacita,” a protro sneaker inspired by the teen’s nickname.

“MAMBACITA,” she captioned the Instagram post, which featured a photo of the butterfly-adorned shoe, at the time. “5/1/2006 GIGI.”

Keep reading to see more heartwarming moments from the Bryant family…