Kobe Bryant’s Last Protege Starts New Chapter While WNBA Disciple Paige Bueckers Claims ROTY

Not too long ago, while battling repeated injuries during her collegiate career, Paige Bueckers credited Kobe Bryant’s teachings for helping her persevere. “(Kobe’s) mentality, his approach, and just how much he dedicated his life to the game,” she said, highlighting the lessons that shaped her mindset. Coming to the pros with that guidance and immense expectations, she entered the WNBA as the overall #1 pick and lived up to the hype. Bueckers finished her rookie season with the ROTY award. As she closes out her first WNBA campaign, another athlete from Kobe’s final class is now making strides, stepping onto the NCAA stage this year.

Kat Righeimer, Annabelle Spotts, Emily Eadie, Zoie Lamkin, and Amalia Holguin are known as The Mambas. These are the girls who are the last batch to be trained by the late Mamba. Out of this, Holguin, a 5-foot-9 guard, made her commitment to the University of Texas recently. She had her official visit over the weekend and committed on Monday despite offers from schools like Louisville, UConn, and UCLA. For the Longhorns this year, she is the first high school commit, and would want to improve on their Final Four finish from last season.

As Holguin continues to move ahead in her career, the impact of Kobe Bryant still looms large. In July, Wayne Coffey detailed Amalia Holguin and her relationship with Bryant, who was her coach before his death in 2020. “I don’t think I’d be the player I am today, or have the mindset that I do, if I hadn’t (been coached by Kobe Bryant),” Holguin told Coffey in the story The Last Mamba.“I can still hear him saying, ‘Amalia, make sure you are working harder than everybody else. If you take time off, always remember that somebody else is working.’”

Holguin was just 10 when she started working with Bryant on the Mamba Academy team, and before her commitment, she was a top NCAA prospect. At Sage Hill, she averaged around 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in leading Sage Hill to the 2025 California Div. 1 state championship game, where she had 21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists, hitting two late three-pointers to help erase an eight-point deficit. Soon or later, her career will take a turn for the WNBA, where she will hope to leave a mark like Bueckers.

After winning the NCAA championship, Bueckers was locked in to be the overall #1 draft pick. The Dallas Wings made no mistake and selected the Huskies guard, despite her multiple injury-scarred seasons. An ACL tear, knee problems, and meniscus injuries were some major problems that plagued her collegiate career. However, in her rookie season in the WNBA, she started in 36 games, contributing on both ends with 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals, 47.4% from the floor.

That’s why the 23-year-old ended with the ROTY accolade almost unanimously, with 70 of 72 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. When she won her last accolade, the Huskies guard got emotional and shared how Kobe played a role in her win.

Kobe Bryant made his presence felt in Paige Bueckers’ final chance

In her final season in the Huskies jersey, it was the final time for Paige to win the NCAA championship. She did it as UConn would defeat the two-time defending champion South Carolina Gamecocks, 82-59. Thus, the Huskies won their 12th national championship and first since 2016. It was a sweet moment for the Bryant family, since it would have been the first year Gianna “Gigi” Bryant would’ve been eligible to be part of the team. Previously, Kobe said Gigi was “hellbent on UConn” and playing for legendary coach Geno Auriemma.

After the win, Bueckers got emotional and explained how she could feel Kobe Bryant’s presence with her. After the championship game, while addressing the media, Paige said there were times she said that “God really showed himself” and referred to her mom staying in room 824, which is both of Kobe’s numbers with 8 and 24.

The 23-year-old remembered the close people she lost and thanked them for their presence, guiding her. “Kobe’s watching over us. Gigi’s watching over us…” Just another example of how Kobe Bryant had an immense impact on some of the players today, both in the WNBA and in the NBA. Not this season, but soon, Amalia Holguin will begin her journey as a pro, and no doubt she will carry over the teachings of the Lakers legend.