Sabrina Ionescu’s words about Kobe Bryant aren’t hollow. Candace Parker doesn’t wear his jersey and sneakers for no reason. Caitlin Clark doesn’t embody the legend just for pictures. This is the lasting influence of the Black Mamba on athletes where gender is no divide. For Kobe, female athletes were as talented as his teammates and also endured the same hardships as male athletes. But he also recognized that the women were undervalued. As the dad of at least two athletes, Bryant was determined to improve the landscape for female athletes.

His two eldest daughters, Natalia and Gianna, were multi-sport athletes. Gianna at least had a promising basketball career that could rival the 5x champion. Gigi found mentors in veteran female athletes through her father. Kobe, in turn, mentored these athletes and created more opportunities for female athletes.

Kobe Bryant’s affinity for the WNBA

Maybe it’s because everyone thought Gigi would play in the WNBA one day but Kobe Bryant was determined to grow the NBA’s sister league in value and appreciation. At the unveiling of his statue, WNBA legend, Candace Parker said that Bryant, “uplifted our league.” His efforts are palpable enough for the league to create the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award for individuals who further women’s basketball. So far Cris Paul and Pau Gasol have earned this honor.

He kept a close eye on the WNBA scene and even broke down the detailed reasons why stars like Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, and Elena Delle Donne could fit in with the NBA. He dubbed Taurasi the White Mamba, which would push her to become the WNBA champion she is. Taurasi would pay homage to her mentor by wearing his #8 jersey in the 2020 WNBA jersey.

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So many athletes that Bryant took under his wing weren’t just getting verbal advice. Sabrina Ionescu worked out with him and learned some of the effective Los Angeles Lakers strategies when she assisted him in coaching Gigi’s AAU team.

Gigi was also the reason why he loved going to UConn games. Gigi hoped to play for the Huskies before her young life was cut short. Paige Bueckers, who skipped the WNBA draft to return for another season, returned from a long absence with a tribute to Gigi – a tee with the quote, “When you think you can’t, UCONN,” that’s attributed to Gigi. It resonated with many as Bueckers overcame a serious injury to bounce back and lead her team to the Final Four by channeling the Mamba Mentality.

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By most accounts, Kobe had only begun to scratch the surface with expanding women’s basketball through his daughter. And Gigi’s UConn dreams never became a reality. But her family is keeping that legacy going.

Vanessa Bryant continues what Kobe started

Kobe knew that the resources in female athletics have always been less. He was on the verge of changing that parallel to Gigi advancing to a collegiate level. He had everything in order to launch the Mamba Cup, a youth tournament that was going to feature Gigi as one of the players. The inaugural event was going to be in 2020 but was canceled after the tragedy.

After losing her husband and daughter, Vanessa, with the support of her eldest daughter Natalia, didn’t let Kobe’s crusade stop. The Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation continues to give the opportunity to underprivileged athletes to pursue athletics. Vanessa is ensuring college teams have access to the best. She’s brought several programs, including Natalia’s school, USC and Gigi’s favorite, UConn in the Nike fold. These schools got exclusive Nike Kobes in team colors. When she’s not celebrating the female athletes in college and WNBA, she’s taking her youngest daughters Bianka and Capri to their games.

Kobe Bryant has unfinished business in women’s athletics but those closest to him are not letting it fade. Sabrina Ionescu and Stephen Curry are filling the void he left as WNBA ambassadors. It speaks of his influence when there’s an entire army ensuring it won’t end there.

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