Gianna Bryant and her Mamba Academy teammates will be memorialized in a big way Friday night ... the WNBA is set to make them honorary picks in the org's annual draft, according to Vanessa Bryant.
GiGi, Alyssa Altobelli and Peyton Chester -- who all passed away in a helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant -- will get the honor at some point during the televised selection process.
Of course, it's a huge deal for the trio ... they all had WNBA aspirations before their tragic deaths in January -- and Vanessa praised the tribute on social media Friday.