When Geno Auriemma revealed a hilarious story on Kobe Bryant's daughter Gigi to showcase her love for UConn: "She knew where her heart was"

It is well-documented that Kobe Bryant's daughter, Gianna Marie-Onore Bryant, affectionately known as "Gigi," was a proud UConn fan and dreamt of playing for 11-time national coach Geno Auriemma when she reached college.

Her dream was unwavering, and even legends like Reggie Miller couldn't shake her resolve to commit to UConn, possibly by the 2024 or 2025 season.

In one instance, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant told the former UCLA and Indiana sharpshooter that his daughter was "hellbent on UConn."

Auriemma was one of the greatest witnesses to Gigi Bryant's rock-solid determination to play for the Huskies. The Italian-American coach spoke at an event in Feb. 2020, paying tribute to the late Kobe and Gianna Bryant just weeks after their untimely passing.

As the winningest coach in college basketball, encompassing both genders, Auriemma recalled an anecdote about the young Bryant that showcased her loyalty to the Huskies:

"She did meet the Oregon Ducks women's basketball team and they all gathered around and said you want to take your picture and everybody ran over and Gigi goes: 'Nah, I'm good.' She knew where her heart was and you know that little sarcasm 'I'm good,'" Auriemma recalled (7:01).

The legendary mentor then compared it to the joy he saw on Gigi's face while watching a live UConn game with the L.A. Lakers great:

"And when they came to UConn and they sat behind the bench and there's dad bringing his daughter to a game," he added.

"And they have their shirts on and she's got this coat on and she has her hat on and she's just a little kid at a game. And again I felt more like a dad than I felt as a basketball coach because I've done that with my kids."

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Gigi Bryant could've been teammates with Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong

Gigi Bryant could have played her first season with UConn either this year or the next. If she had reclassified her class like Cooper Flagg and committed to the 2024-25 women's college basketball season, she would have been teammates with senior players Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers.

She could have formed an effective combo with fellow freshmen Sarah Strong, Allie Ziebell, Morgan Cheli and Jana ElAlfy for the next three seasons if she and her father hadn't been part of the tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Jan. 26, 2020.

Gigi could have competed against USC's Juju Watkins, UCLA's Lauren Betts, South Carolina's MiLaysia Fulwiley and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, as well as hundreds of other current NCAA women's basketball stars.

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the incident that shocked the basketball world. Many "what ifs" and "what could have beens" remain if Gigi and Kobe had survived that fateful event, including Gigi's dream to play for the UConn Huskies.