Geno Auriemma Points Out UConn Forward’s Blind Spots
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UConn keeps winning, but Geno Auriemma keeps looking for cracks. The Huskies are currently sitting on a 10-0 record, and their last match against USC ended with a comfortable 79–51 win. That kind of margin screams control.
Azzi Fudd scored 24 points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Sarah Strong managed to score 15 points, grab four rebounds, dish out four assists, steal the ball twice, and block two shots in 20 minutes. Despite the great performances, Auriemma went on to discuss another player on his roster in the postgame press conference.
Auriemma went on to talk about his ever-so unpredictable forward, Blanca Quiñonez. When asked what Quiñonez’s performance revealed about her growth since earlier tests this season, Auriemma had some interesting praise and critique.
“Did you see the one play? It was amazing. She’s running down the court like this is her, and there’s a player on their team with the ball going down the middle toward the basket. Blanca just escorted her all the way to the basket, and the kid got a bucket and a foul. And I thought, you know, Blanca can’t go a whole game without doing something I can show on film that reminds her, and reminds me, she’s 18 years old and has a long way to go. So I look for those moments, because if I don’t, all the other moments are amazing,” started Auriemma.
we think Blanca Quiñonez is really good for a freshman pic.twitter.com/6eX4veI23u
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) December 13, 2025
Quiñonez's Impressive Performance vs. USC
That’s the paradox with Quiñonez right now. That tension, however, is exciting to Auriemma because outside of that one defensive lapse, Quiñonez looked nothing like a freshman trying to survive minutes. She finished with 21 points and five rebounds in 18 minutes, coming off the bench.
During UConn’s first-quarter surge, she scored and created alongside Fudd and Strong as the Huskies made a 14–0 run that stretched the lead before USC could settle. By the time the quarter ended at 32–8, Quiñonez had already made her presence on both ends.
Auriemma also went on to add, “She gets in there, and she’s like a one-man show. She’s on the ball, off the ball, stealing from people, getting buckets, rebounding. She just plays like somebody who’s played a lot of basketball at a higher level. And when Sarah doesn’t have it that night, you have Blanca. But yeah, I thought she dominated the game when she came in. She’s fun to watch, man. I get a kick out of watching her. I just shake my head sometimes.”
When UConn’s pressure defense began to suffocate USC, forcing three turnovers in the first 3:40 and making 18 points off turnovers in the first half, Quiñonez was part of that chaos.
Quiñonez pushed the pace and kept the scoreboard moving as UConn stretched the lead past 40 during a 20-point run. The game never tilted back, and her minutes were a reason why.
That’s where Auriemma’s larger point landed. When Strong doesn’t have it on a given night, Quiñonez becomes the answer. It is not easy for a freshman to have that kind of production. However, when one looks at Quiñonez’s background, it all starts to make more sense.
Quiñonez arrived in Storrs having already played against senior national teams, competed in multiple FIBA tournaments, and logged years in Italy’s Serie A1 with Magnolia Basket Campobasso. She’s used to physicality, pace changes, and reading space against grown professionals.
Azzi Fudd Echoes Geno Auriemma’s Sentiment on Blanca Quiñonez
Fudd had no critique, just praises for Quiñonez and her game.
As Fudd puts it, “Blanca played incredible offensively and defensively today. I mean, it felt like she was everywhere, pressing in the half-court as well on defense. Then, on offense, she’s so talented. She can score, she’s a great passer, she just knows how to play. So when you have someone like her coming off the bench who can just bring that spark, it’s like the first group is playing well, and then she comes in, and it’s a whole other level. It’s a lot of fun to play with someone who brings the energy and intensity on both ends.”
The numbers back that up. Against USC, Quiñonez finished with 21 points, five rebounds, and one steal in 18 minutes. She is shooting 8-of-11 from the field. Quiñonez might be unpredictable in her play, but she is still reliable when it comes to production. And in Storrs, Auriemma can work around that.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.