Gianna Bryant dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps and one day becoming a professional basketball player. On Sunday, January 26, 2020 those dreams were shattered, when the helicopter she was travelling in crashed in Calabasas, California, killing all nine onboard, including her father, Kobe Bryant.

The father and daughter were on their way to Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks to take part in a tournament for young players on Sunday. Gianna, aged 13, was due to play in the tournament and Bryant was going to coach. Gianna, the second of Bryant’s four daughters, shared her father’s love of the game. She hoped one day to play for the University of Connecticut and make it to the Women’s National Basketball Association. Bryant himself had described her as “something else” when she is on the court, and recently comparisons had been made between her skills and those of her father.