Huskies Report

UConn HC Compares Rising Forward to Svetlana Abrosimova

UConn Huskies head coach breaks down freshman forward’s game-changing unpredictability and why it reminds him of a former UConn legend.
Shivani Menon|
Jun 17, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma watches the game between the Dallas Wings and Golden State Valkyries at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Jun 17, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma watches the game between the Dallas Wings and Golden State Valkyries at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

UConn’s perfect start has been about dominance and discovery. At 4-0 with a 1.000 overall winning percentage, the Huskies keep stacking blowout wins. However, the latest cause for intrigue arrived in the form of a freshman forward who refuses to play by the script. In their last match, the Huskies faced Ohio State and defeated them 100–68.

And 18 of those points were made by Blanca Quiñonez, UConn’s Ecuadorian freshman. To make things even better, Quiñonez’s performance prompted Geno Auriemma to make a comparison rarely made in Storrs. A comparison to someone who once rewrote the rules of what a UConn wing could look like. And that’s where this story really begins.

While Quiñonez can make the points, it is the fact that she is unpredictable that makes her stand out. And coaching a player like that is not easy. In fact, Auriemma had something to say about that.

“I eventually get used to it. However, they have to get used to me not liking it. So unpredictable, meaning she might throw a pass that’s a fantastic pass, and I’ll be like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know she could do that.’ Or she can get to the rim and have a finish that’s really, ‘Wow, she looks like a pro, right? She’s only 18 years old.’ So unpredictable in that way,” said Auriemma before comparing her to a UConn legend.

It is not the first time that Huskies have had to deal with unpredictable geniuses. In fact, the Husky Nation has lived it with Svetlana Abrosimova. The former star, a three-time Kodak All-American and member of the 2000 national championship team, has a legacy built on great basketball and occasional bedlam.

Abrosimova’s freshman season saw UConn go 28–2. Soon after, her career took off, as she was drafted seventh overall in the WNBA and inducted into the Huskies of Honor. Quiñonez, in her first week in Storrs, is already channeling that same energy. And if her start is any indication, she may be the program’s next delightful problem.

Auriemma feels it, too.“Wow, unpredictable, and no human being could possibly throw that pass and think that it’s a good pass. So what really is a challenge is the look on her face like, ‘What is your problem?’ Like, I’m supposed to be understanding that this is how I play. So it’s going to be a little bit of a battle. Like, I know this is how you play, but this is how I coach. So we’re gonna have to meet somewhere in the middle,” added Auriemma.

From the brilliant moments in the exhibition matches to the last game played, Quiñonez’s season so far has been an exhibit of sorts. In 23 minutes, she had 7-for-11 shooting against Ohio State, two steals, a block, and five turnovers. Abrosimova’s early years were marked by scoring surges, defensive gambles, and plays that left fans gasping.

Both players play in the space between brilliance and mayhem, and Auriemma sees it unfolding again. However, the legendary coach would change nothing about the unpredictability.
As Auriemma puts it, “But I wouldn’t take anything away from her. I wouldn’t tell her, ‘Stop doing this,’ or ‘Stop doing that.’ Not at all. Just need her to constantly be aware of what’s a good decision, what’s a bad decision… She’s got a lot of Svetlana in her. God bless her.”

Who Exactly Is Blanca Quiñonez, and Why Is Geno Auriemma So Invested?

Long before Quiñonez made her way to Storrs, Auriemma got a glimpse of her unpredictability. In fact, after the Huskies played their exhibition games, Auriemma made it clear that he’s still trying to figure out which positions suit her best.

Quiñonez is a product of Ecuador Basketball. She has competed at the South American Women’s Championship and the FIBA U16, posting double-digit scoring averages internationally before turning 18. Quiñonez soon moved to Italy’s Serie A1, where she averaged 11 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.2 steals.

Quiñonez’s been a guard, a wing, a hybrid, a disruptor, never confined to one role. And perhaps that's why Auriemma calls her “an adventure.” She’s the kind of player who makes a Hall of Fame coach groan and grin in the same possession.

And that, for UConn, might be the most exciting part of all.

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Shivani Menon
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.

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