Blanca Quiñónez

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Quiñónez and the second or maternal family name is Mina.
Blanca Quiñónez
No. 4 – UConn Huskies
PositionForward
LeagueBig East Conference
Personal information
Born (2006-08-03) August 3, 2006
Milagro, Ecuador
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Career information
CollegeUConn (2025–present)
Playing career2020–present
Career history
2020–2025Magnolia Campobasso
Career highlights
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing  Ecuador
FIBA U15 South American Championship
2018 Chile Team

Blanca Francheska Quiñónez Mina (born August 3, 2006) is an Ecuadorian college basketball player for the UConn Huskies. She previously played for Magnolia Campobasso in Italy, making her professional debut at age 14.

Early life

Blanca Francheska Quiñónez Mina[1] was born on August 3, 2006,[2] in Milagro, Ecuador.[3] She began playing basketball at age five after attending a local summer camp alongside her twin brother and older brother.[3] Quiñónez grew up trying many sports, such as soccer, karate, swimming, and boxing, as well as other activities like dance and modeling, but excelled on the basketball court.[4] She started out playing in the Liga Deportiva Cantonal de Milagro.[5] Quiñónez quickly developed into one of the most skilled players in Guayas Province.[3] At age 11, she was named the best player at a national under-15 tournament, which earned her her first call-up to the junior national team.[3]

Quiñónez attracted attention from multiple clubs after her MVP performance in the 2019 FIBA U16 Americas Championship.[3][5] She and her mother then traveled to Italy in October 2019 to attend a trial period with Magnolia Campobasso, practicing with both the under-15 and senior squads.[5] They chose Magnolia because it was the only club to allow her mother to accompany her.[6]

Early professional career

Quiñónez officially signed with Magnolia Campobasso in January 2020 at the age of 13, initially joining their youth developmental team, Cestistica Campobasso.[7] A few days after her 14th birthday, she was promoted to the senior team in the Lega Basket Femminile (LBF) for the 2020–21 season.[8] Quiñónez made her professional debut on December 6, 2020, recording four points and six rebounds in a 49–70 home loss to San Martino di Lupari.[9][10] She became the youngest foreign player in LBF history at 14 years, four months, and three days old.[9]

Ahead of her second season, Quiñónez said: "My intention remains the same: I want to always be able to give my best, gain experience, and grow."[11] She made her EuroCup debut at the age of 15 on September 25, 2021, posting 17 points and four rebounds in a 65–64 qualification round victory over Spanish club Ensino Lugo.[3][12] That season, Quiñónez averaged 7.1 points per game and won the Lega Basket Femminile (LBF) Best Young Player award while playing small forward, receiving the news while she was at school.[1][13] In 2023–24, she averaged 10.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, helping Magnolia Campobasso advance to the LBF semifinals for the first time.[14] Quiñónez re-signed with the club ahead of her fifth pro season.[15][16] In her final season in Italy in 2024–25, she averaged 11.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game,[17] leading her team to a third-place finish in the regular season and a semifinal appearance in the playoffs.[18] The team also reached the Coppa Italia semifinal and the EuroCup round of 32.[18]

Aside from the first team, Quiñónez also starred for Magnolia Campobasso's reserve team in the third-tier Serie B.[19] Additionally, she helped the club win the Italian under-17 championship in 2023, scoring 29 points in the final and earning tournament MVP honors.[20][21] The following year, she helped them win the Italian under-19 championship and again won tournament MVP after scoring 22 points in the final.[22][23] Quiñónez earned invites to participate in the 2022 NBA Academy Games in Atlanta and the 2024 Basketball Without Borders Global girls camp in Phoenix, Arizona,[24][25] with the latter event marking her first time visiting the U.S.[26]

College career

Quiñónez opened her college recruitment in April 2024 after watching that year's Final Four and the overall growth of women's college basketball in the United States.[4][27] According to CT Insider, "the floodgates immediately burst open" with interest from many of the top NCAA Division I programs in the country.[4] On October 2, 2024, Quiñónez verbally committed to playing college basketball at the University of Connecticut for the UConn Huskies, becoming the first player in program history from South America.[14] She made her choice without having visited the campus.[4] Quiñónez signed with the Huskies the following month, although this was not officially announced until February 11, 2025.[27] After one practice with the team, she received praise from head coach Geno Auriemma, who said that she was "fun to watch because she's unpredictable".[28]

Quiñónez missed the first two games of her freshman season due to injury, after which she made her collegiate debut on November 12, 2025, recording five points, three assists, and two steals in an 85–31 blowout win over Loyola–Chicago.[29] She then tallied 18 points, four rebounds, and two steals against Ohio State in her second game, and was subsequently named the Big East Freshman of the Week.[30][31] A week later, Quiñónez scored 21 points on eight-of-11 shooting and grabbed five rebounds in a 93–41 win over Utah,[32] and repeated as the Big East Freshman of the Week.[33] In mid-December, she won the award for a third time after posting 12 points, four rebounds, and four steals in 79–51 win over AP No. 16 USC.[34] Quiñónez won it again the following week after she put up 12 points and four rebounds against Marquette, followed by 10 points, five assists, five steals, and four rebounds versus No. 11 Iowa, with the Huskies routing both opponents.[35] On December 29, she was named the Big East Freshman of the Week for the third straight week, and the fifth time overall, after tallying 12 points, three rebounds, and three steals in a 94–47 win over Butler.[36] Quiñónez nabbed the award again two weeks later after averaging 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game in blowout wins over St. John's and Creighton.[37]

National team career

Quiñónez won a silver medal with the Ecuador national under-15 team at the 2018 FIBA U15 South American Championship, averaging 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.[17] She later competed at the 2019 FIBA U16 Americas Championship, where she averaged 14.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game,[17] as well as the 2019 U14 South American Championship held in Ecuador, where she averaged 21 points per game.[38]

Quiñónez debuted for the Ecuador senior national team at the 2022 FIBA South American Championship, averaging 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.[17]

Personal life

Quiñónez is the daughter of Guillermo and Fabiola Quiñónez.[17] Her twin brother, Jaime, is a footballer in Ecuador.[39][40]

Quiñónez speaks Spanish, English, Italian, as well as the Molisan dialect.[4] She remained in Italy during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic until she was able to get a humanitarian flight to Ecuador in July 2020 with the help of the embassy.[6] In 2025, Quiñónez graduated from the Mario Pagano School, a liceo scientifico in Italy.[41]

Quiñónez was signed as a brand ambassador for sports apparel company Airdom in 2024.[42]

References

  1. ^ a b "Oscar LBF 2022, tutti i premiati" (in Italian). Lega Basket Femminile. September 16, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  2. ^ "Blanca Quiñonez (Ecuador)". FIBA. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Núñez, Felipe (August 7, 2022). "Blanca Quiñónez, la basquetbolista de Milagro que juega en Italia". Primicias (in Spanish). Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d e Vanoni, Maggie (October 30, 2024). "Why Ecuador native Blanca Quinonez committed to UConn women's basketball; 'Love at first sight'". CT Insider. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  5. ^ a b c "Blanca Quiñónez muestra su talento en el básquet italiano". El Comercio (in Spanish). November 4, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  6. ^ a b Sánchez, Daniel (July 26, 2020). "Ecuador también exporta jugadores de básquet". Primicias (in Spanish). Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  7. ^ "Magnolia Campobasso tessera Del Bosco e Quiñonez con la Cestistica Campobasso" (in Italian). Lega Basket Femminile. January 21, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  8. ^ "A1 UFFICIALE – Magnolia Campobasso, la giovane Blanca Quiñonez promossa in prima squadra". Basketinside.com (in Italian). 11 August 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  9. ^ a b "LA MOLISANA MAGNOLIA, DOMENICA CONTRO SAN MARTINO L'ESORDIO DI QUIÑONEZ" (in Italian). Magnolia Basket Campobasso. December 4, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  10. ^ "10° Giornata | La Molisana Magnolia Campobasso 49-70 Fila San Martino di Lupari" (in Italian). Lega Basket Femminile. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  11. ^ "Quinonez, Srot e Del Sole: le giovani della Magnolia promettono scintille". Primonumero (in Italian). July 18, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  12. ^ Sánchez Pinela, Joselo (September 25, 2021). "BLANCA QUIÑÓNEZ, DE 15 AÑOS, DESTACA EN EUROCUP DE BALONCESTO". Revista Winner (in Spanish). Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  13. ^ "LA MOLISANA MAGNOLIA, QUIÑONEZ MIGLIOR GIOVANE DI A1: «BELLA SODDISFAZIONE»" (in Italian). Magnolia Basket Campobasso. September 10, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  14. ^ a b Adams, Emily (October 2, 2024). "UConn women's basketball lands 2025 commitment from top international prospect Blanca Quinonez". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  15. ^ "Quinonez re-signs at Campobasso". Latinbasket.com. June 6, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  16. ^ "La Molisana Magnolia, Blanca Quiñonez confermata pilastro dei fiori d'acciaio per la stagione 2024/2025". isNews.it (in Italian). June 6, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Blanca Quiñonez". UConn Huskies. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  18. ^ a b "La Molisana Magnolia-Reyer Venezia 59-61: beffa finale per la squadra molisana". Molise News 24 (in Italian). April 26, 2025. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  19. ^ Cardarello, Giovanni (April 21, 2023). "Serie B, Quinonez di un'altra categoria: la Pallacanestro Perugia saluta i Playoff". PerugiaToday (in Italian). Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  20. ^ "Finali Nazionali Under 17, la Magnolia Campobasso vince il tricolore" (in Italian). Lega Basket Femminile. June 4, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  21. ^ "Blanca Quinonez confermata per la quinta stagione". Rai News (in Italian). June 12, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  22. ^ "Finale U19F: lo scudetto è della Magnolia Campobasso, le congratulazioni del presidente Petrucci". Italian Basketball Federation. March 29, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  23. ^ "Blanca Quiñonez vola in NCAA e giocherà a UConn nella prossima stagione". Basketinside.com (in Italian). February 4, 2025. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  24. ^ Vanoni, Maggie (October 16, 2024). "How the women's Final Four led Blanca Quinonez on a path to be UConn's first South American player". CT Insider. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  25. ^ "Second all-female Basketball Without Borders camp for top international prospects to take place in Phoenix". FIBA. July 9, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  26. ^ Adams, Emily (October 17, 2025). "From Ecuador to Italy, how Blanca Quinonez's journey prepared her for UConn women's basketball". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  27. ^ a b Vanoni, Maggie (February 11, 2025). "UConn announces official signing of Class of 2025 recruit, Ecuador native Blanca Quiñonez". CT Insider. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  28. ^ Vanoni, Maggie (October 1, 2025). "How freshman Blanca Quiñonez is adjusting to UConn women's basketball: 'She's fun to watch'". CT Insider. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  29. ^ Close, Andy (November 12, 2025). "UConn women roll to third win to begin season, 85-31 over Loyola Chicago". The Bristol Press. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  30. ^ Vanoni, Maggie (November 17, 2025). "How freshman Blanca Quiñonez is already impacting the UConn women's basketball team: 'It's exciting'". CT Insider. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  31. ^ Adams, Emily (November 17, 2025). "'She's pretty unique': UConn women's basketball freshman Blanca Quinonez shows high ceiling in rout". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  32. ^ Anthony, Mike (November 24, 2025). "How an 'intense' film session with Geno Auriemma helped UConn freshman Blanca Quiñonez". CT Insider. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  33. ^ "Fudd, Quiñonez Sweep BIG EAST Weekly Honors". UConn Huskies. November 24, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  34. ^ Adamec, Carl (December 15, 2025). "UConn's Azzi Fudd, Blanca Quiñonez sweep Big East women's basketball weekly awards". CT Insider. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  35. ^ "#BIGEASTwbb Weekly Honors (12.22.25): UConn Sweeps Weekly Honors". Big East Conference. December 22, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  36. ^ Adamec, Carl (December 29, 2025). "UConn women's basketball forward Blanca Quiñonez named Big East Freshman of the Week for fifth time". CT Insider. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  37. ^ "UConn Sweeps BIG EAST Weekly Honors". UConn Huskies. January 12, 2026. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  38. ^ "Blanca Quiñonez inicia su camino hacia el baloncesto internacional" (in Spanish). Federación Ecuatoriana de Básquetbol. October 15, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  39. ^ "Blanca Quiñónez: la ecuatoriana que sueña con llegar a la WNBA desde la Universidad de Connecticut". El Comercio. August 15, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  40. ^ "Jaime Quiñonez". worldfootball.net. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  41. ^ Cavaliere, Maurizio (March 10, 2025). "Magnolia, altro salto in avanti: storico terzo posto in regular season". Primonumero (in Italian). Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  42. ^ "Blanca Quinonez with Airdom". Airdom. July 18, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
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