After a strong freshman season at UConn, Blanca Quiñonez received the “Pórtico de Oro” from the Guayas provincial government in Ecuador last month. Translated as “Golden Gate” in English, the award recognized Quiñonez for her burgeoning basketball career, which has made her to an ambassador for the country.

José Arévalo Santana, the governor of Guayas, presented her with the accolade. Quiñonez grew up in Milagro, a city within the province of Guayas.

Here’s a news clip from the award ceremony (in Spanish):

Ahead of its third season of competition, Unrivaled — the 3×3 league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart — announced 46 of the 48 players that will fill out its eight clubs. Among that group are six former Huskies: Collier and Stewart, of course, as well as Paige Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards, Tiffany Hayes and Gabby Williams.

The specific rosters will be revealed at a later date.

Edwards, Hayes and Stewart have played in every season so far, with Stewart coming off a championship and MVP campaign with Mist BC in 2026. Bueckers is back for her second year while Williams is set to debut after signing a multi-year deal with the league earlier this summer. Collier, meanwhile, won MVP as well as the 1-on-1 Tournament in 2025 but sat out the most recent campaign while recovering from ankle surgery.

On Friday, the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will kick off in Berlin, Germany. Five former Huskies are slated to compete: Paige Bueckers, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart on Team USA, Gabby Williams with France and Dorka Juhász with Hungary.

The United States has won the last four World Cups and comes in on a 30-game winning streak in the competition. It’s also captured the last eight Olympic gold medals. Still, this team may not be as invincible as those of the past. Reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson backed out at the last second while Kelsey Plum will also miss the tournament due to injury. Stewart will be tasked with leading a group of national team newcomers, headlined by Bueckers.

Williams and France are the top contenders to steal gold away from the Americans. Les Bleus came up just short of that at the 2024 Paris Olympics, falling 67-66 to Team USA in the gold medal game. But with eight active WNBA players on its roster, France should be viewed as a legitimate threat.

Meanwhile, Juhász leads a Hungary team that hasn’t been to the World Cup since 1998. It’ll have to contend with a tough group that also includes France, Nigeria and Korea.

All the action begins on Friday. Team USA opens with China at 8:15 a.m. ET while France and Hungary square off against each other at 3:00 p.m. ET. TNT and truTV will broadcast 17 of the 36 games, though all will be streamed on HBO Max.

In the latest edition of the mailbag:

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A fun recap of everyone’s summer:

The players are officially back on campus for the start of the fall semester:

This is what Geno Auriemma dealt with for five years:

Question: UConn football just unveiled a new red alternate jersey. Should UConn women's basketball adopt one to?

Yes: 26.4%
No: 60.3%
Don’t care: 13.2%