Amid the embarrassment of riches that is a full-strength Connecticut Huskies program is a Big East Freshman and Sixth Player of the Year poised to serve as the undefeated squad’s X-factor. 

Blanca Quiñonez stepped up and onto the radar in an NCAA tournament first-round game that head coach Geno Auriemma described as “kind of wonky” to start. The Huskies didn’t step on the gas until late in the second quarter with key buckets from Quiñonez, but the No. 1 overall seed eventually raced out to a 90-52 win over No. 16 UTSA at home on Saturday.  

It trailed No. 1 seed South Carolina’s record 69-point dismantling of No. 16 Southern, and No. 1 Texas’ 42-point win over Missouri State on Friday. UCLA, seeded No. 1 behind UConn, plays at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday. 

The early rounds are tune-ups for these crews, and UConn flexed the versatility and depth that could result in a seventh undefeated title. The Huskies will play the winner of No. 9 Syracuse on Monday with a trip to the Sweet 16 in the Fort Worth 1 regional on the line. 

Quiñonez, despite averaging a third-best 10.1 points per game, shooting 54.9 from the field, is often the overlooked entity despite earning two of the conference’s major awards. She is the 16th Husky to win Big East Freshman of the Year honors, and the third consecutive behind Sarah Strong in 2025 and Ashlyn Shade in 2024.

Everyone is buried in the pecking order of attention bestowed to National Player of the Year contender Strong — the winner of the conference’s Player and Defensive Player of the Year — and projected WNBA Draft lottery pick Azzi Fudd. At least Shade and KK Arnold made their names in last year’s championship run, and in the injury-riddled seasons prior. Arnold, Fudd and Strong all earned Big East first-team honors, while Arnold and Strong also made the All-Defensive team. 

Quiñonez, the program’s first-ever player from South America, enters as a largely unknown entity. The 6-foot-1 small forward is originally from Ecuador and played overseas in Italy prior to signing her letter of intent a year ago. 

That aspect alone gives her a leg up this time of year when no one is considered a freshman anymore. But certainly not a teenager accustomed to the next level. 

“Believe it or not, I think sometimes the international kids have an easier time adapting to college than the homegrown ones,” Auriemma said the day before their first-round game. “There seems to be a tremendous level of confidence, independence, self awareness for the most part, commitment. They’re here for a reason. They’re very driven, and their English is really, really good, better than good.”

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She averages 2.1 steals and 2.1 assists per game, but fewer than 20 minutes. She missed the first two games of the season, and five in the conference slate, with a nagging left shoulder injury.  

Her per-40 numbers are strong, but nothing stellar. With better statistics, she could be in national freshman of the year conversations were it not for Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez, Vanderbilt’s Aubrey Galvan and USC’s Jazzy Davidson playing key starter roles for their tournament teams. 

None of them is as heavily favored to win a national championship. 

Quiñonez scored 10 of her 15 points in UConn’s 29-8 second quarter that settled the game. She went 4-of-4 and 2-of-3 from the line with 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 2 steals in nine minutes. She posts up and pulls back for jumpers, giving coaches the opportunity to play her in various lineups and combinations.

“There’s skills that she has [and] there’s a way of playing the game that she has the ability to impact it in so many different ways,” Auriemma said. “And I think that’s her biggest attribute is she’s kind of fearless. She just pretty much plays the game. Doesn’t have any hesitation at all.

“I think she’ll get more and more comfortable as hopefully, you know, the next couple of days come around, and hopefully beyond that,” Auriemma said. 

Her production was necessary as Fudd and Arnold rode the bench with three fouls each. In recent tournament runs, that would have sunk the Huskies automatically. It wasn’t long ago they played eight healthy bodies. There were no other options.

Now it’s a matter of which individuals will step up to help while the attention concentrates on Strong and Fudd. 

“The special thing about our team is that anyone can come in and make a difference,” Strong said. “And make a big impact.”