Blanca Quiñonez remains UConn's intriguing mystery

While UConn’s open practice and scrimmage at Sacred Heart University on Sunday provided a first look at the 2025-26 team, not everyone took the court. Ashlynn Shade and Jana El Alfy were the most noteworthy non-participants given their pedigrees while Morgan Cheli wasn’t a major surprise as she works her way back from ankle surgery in February.

But the most disappointing absence? Blanca Quiñonez. She’s been one of the Huskies’ most intriguing prospects since she first committed back in October 2024 and remains a veritable mystery at this point in time. Quiñonez missed out on summer workouts while finishing school in Italy, then since she arrived on campus in August for the start of the fall semester, there haven’t been any media availabilities. This would’ve been the first chance to get any idea of what she could potentially do.

Instead, the wait continues.

Quiñonez might be UConn’s biggest x-factor this season given her remarkable journey to Storrs. The Milagro, Ecuador native left her home in 2020 and moved to Italy in pursuit of her basketball career. She’s spent the last five seasons playing in Italy’s Serie A1 against some current and former WNBA players — including Dorka Juhász — averaging 11.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals during the 2024-25 campaign.

With that profile, Quiñonez isn’t a typical incoming freshman. Geno Auriemma said as much last March.

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