HARTFORD — As UConn forward Blanca Quiñonez made her way to the middle of the scorer’s table, the crowd of 10,409 at PeoplesBank Arena rose to their feet.
The sophomore forward from Ecuador had missed the Huskies’ first three exhibition games with a shoulder injury, and the UConn faithful had been waiting patiently to see what Quiñonez would look with a team that had national championship contender written all over it during the preseason.
Playing on a minutes restriction, Quiñonez scored four points and grabbed three rebounds in 15 minutes as the Huskies demolished Cornell100-35 in their season opener. The performance, she admits, was not the one she hoped to have in her first game back.
But for UConn, having a player that proved she belonged in the conversation as one of the best underclassmen in the country back in the rotation was a huge lift.
“After watching her do her rehab and just not being able to play for real, I’m just really happy that she’s back on the court,” UConn forward Sarah Strong said. “I enjoy playing with Blanca a lot. She’s so tough. I just like watching her score and do her thing. So, I enjoy playing with her, and just happy that she’s back.”
Getting the opportunity to touch the floor again was a big lift for Quiñonez as tries to find her way back into the rotation.
“Being able to play again and just be out there to be part of it — It’s pretty cool,” Quiñonez said. “I’m pretty happy to be back.”
Quiñonez burst onto the scene last season as a versatile forward who can hit 3-pointers and defend the wing at an elite level. She won Big East Freshman and Sixth Woman of the Year after posting 10.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game on 53.2% shooting from the field and 37.5% from the 3-point line.
But when the offseason came, so did rehab.
Quiñonez opted to get surgery to repair an injured shoulder. The treatment kept her off the basketball floor for most of the summer and limited her in the fall.
Quiñonez missed all three of UConn’s preseason games, meaning the ramp up to get back to where she once was, had to come in season.
Still, the expectations for even bigger Year 2 didn’t go away.
“If she was a first-team All-American this year, I wouldn’t be surprised one bit,” Auriemma said at Big East Media Day on Oct. 1.
While her minutes were limited, Quiñonez showed flashes of being back to her full self.
She subbed into the game midway through the first quarter and immediately got to the free throw line where she sank two foul shots. She later put in her first basket a few possessions later on a sharp cut to the basket.
Her potential showed on defense as well. Her length and athleticism allowed UConn to use her in their trapping defense on the perimeter and on the back end, where she could deter shots at the rim.
Auriemma shifted her between small and power forward depending on who was on the floor. That versatility allowed UConn to put in an extra guard when the Huskies wanted to push the pace or an extra big when they wanted to lock down the paint.
“She just gives us a different look out there,” Auriemma said. “She gives us a different dimension when she and Sarah are on the floor together. There’s a lot of chemistry between the two of them.”
The standard of winning a national championship stays the same, even as UConn prepares to go through arguably the toughest nonconference schedule in the country. If UConn wants to get to that point, Quiñonez will be a big piece to that puzzle.
For now, the 6-foot-2 forward will soak Monday night in.
“I’m pretty happy to be able to share the core again with my teammates and obviously to share with the fans,” Quiñonez said.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: UConn women’s basketball: Blanca Quiñonez returns in season opener vs Cornell
