UConn freshman Olivia Vukosa is taking Stockholm by storm. The 17-year-old is in the Swedish capital playing in the FIBA U18 EuroBasket tournament, representing Croatia. Born in New York, Vukosa also has Croatian citizenship and has played on that country’s national team since 2023. While Croatia is 0-2, Vukosa has proved that she is a force. The 6-foot-5 center, through the first two games, is leading the 16-team tournament with an average of 29.0 points and 17.,5 rebounds per game. The Croatian team will play in at least two more games in Stockholm. The first is set for Monday afternoon against Serbia in the final game of competition in group play, used for seeding. How Croatia finishes in Group D will determine the opponent for the final bracket. And that point, the tournament becomes single elimination. Vukosa signed with UConn last October.

Olivia Vukosa, the No.… She added 13 rebounds, 12 on the defensive end. She is accustomed to stellar international performances. Three years ago, at age 14, she debuted with Team Croatia in the 2023 FIBA U16 European Championship. She averaged 22.6 points and 17.1 rebounds. For her young age, she brings a lot of experience in big games – and a lot of time spent on the court both at home and in Croatia. She played an aggressive spring schedule, got settled in at UConn in the first part of June, and will return to Storrs, Conn., in mid-August with the rest of the team to prepare for practices and classes. From Christ the King High School in Middle Village, N.Y. -- the same school that produced UConn greats Sue Bird and Tina Charles -- Vukosa led her team to the Catholic High School Athletic Association state championship game as a senior. She was the 2025-26 Gatorade Na…