Blanca Quiñonez is one of three freshmen on UConn’s 2025-26 roster. Her journey to Connecticut was anything but traditional. Quiñonez originally grew up in Ecuador, but played in Italy’s Serie A1 league before setting her sights on playing in the NCAA. She participated in a Basketball Without Borders camp in Phoenix in 2024 and caught the attention of a few colleges around the country. Ajsa Sivka, who was drafted by the Sky in this year’s draft, competed in the same camp. Quiñonez chose to play for UConn rather than continuing her career in Europe.
Adjusting to a new country and a new league is not an easy thing to do for a teenager, and Quiñonez definitely needed some time to get used to the college game. And yet, her basketball IQ, defensive versatility, speed, and athleticism were impossible to miss. Quiñonez looks ready to blossom into a star under Geno Auriemma’s guidance.
Quiñonez is just scratching the surface of her potential, but even Auriemma sometimes forgets how young she is. After UConn’s 79-51 win over USC, he pointed to a moment in the game that made him remember that Quiñonez still had a lot to learn. “Blanca just escorted her all the way to the basket, and the kid got a bucket and a foul,” Auriemma said about one of Quiñonez’s few mistakes in the game. “I thought, Blanca can’t go a whole game without doing something that I can show on the film that lets me remind her and remind myself she’s only 18 years old. She’s got a long way to go. So, I look for those moments because if I don’t, all the other moments are amazing.”
Quiñonez actually turned 19 in August but is still one of the youngest players on UConn’s roster.
Quiñonez played a strong game against USC
Quiñonez is one of UConn’s key reserves, averaging around 17 minutes per game. Against USC, she showed why. Quiñonez was a defensive menace, bothering USC anywhere she could and recording four steals and one block. She changed the pace and trajectory of the game. Offensively, Quiñonez also contributed to the win. She scored 12 points on 5-9 shooting and dished out two assists.
It was easily her best game against top competition. Quiñonez scored 21 points against Utah, 18 against Ohio State, and 13 against USF, but struggled against Michigan—the highest-ranked team UConn has faced this season. She only played eight minutes in that game and finished with 2 points, 1 assist, and 2 turnovers.
USC is not the same without JuJu Watkins, but it is still one of the top teams in the country, and Quiñonez played well.
Quiñonez already looks like one of UConn’s next stars
Finding future stars hasn’t been a problem for Auriemma. UConn has produced a plethora of WNBA stars, like Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore, and Napheesa Collier. Most recently, Auriemma sent Paige Bueckers on to the pros. She took the league by storm.
Even without Bueckers, UConn still had its fair share of star power. Azzi Fudd was named the NCAA Tournament MOP after UConn’s 2025 championship, and Sarah Strong was the best freshman in the country last season. While Strong is only in her second season of college basketball, Fudd will leave UConn behind for the WNBA after this season.
Quiñonez looks ready to grow into a thrilling co-star for Strong.