The UConn Huskies have kept their “undefeated champs” title firmly. And just before the game gets even more intense, Sarah Strong had a bold remark.

Handing a 98-45 defeat to the Syracuse Orange, the Huskies have hit their 36-0 and seized the Sweet 16 ticket. While the big names had big numbers of hoops, Strong’s claim highlighted what makes UConn, UConn.

“No one has a bench like us, I think all of our bench brings another type of energy”, said Strong, talking about the importance of the bench. “Like a spark off the bench... Anyone can come in and make an impact."

This calls for a recap. On the March 24 game against Syracuse, key players like Strong and KK Arnold were in for foul trouble. But even so, the Huskies had zero problem dominating the paint, given the effort of whoever came from the bench.

To name a few, “Blanca, Heckle, Allie, Jana”, it didn’t really matter who subbed in and out. For both the 1^st and 2^nd quarters, UConn led with 33-8 and 32-4, respectively. However, one particular bench player put up a standout game.

Blanca Quiñonez Delivered a Standout Performance

Averaging 10.4 points and 3.0 rebounds, the Freshman Forward came in, played for 21 minutes, and racked up 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. Before that, in the 22 March game against UTSA, she added 15 points and 5 rebounds off the bench.

All those minutes she got in her March Madness debut, every last one of them counted to leave an impact. And talking about how she did it, Quiñonez had a very straightforward answer, highlighting the Huskies’ usual technique.

“I just tried to approach the game the same way we did the last couple of games,” she said. “Just tried to play hard, aggressive and just try to do the best for our team, so just locked in like everybody.”

And this is the impact Strong talked about. Starters like her, Azzi Fudd, KK Arnold, etc., might be the names everyone knows, but the UConn benches are no less.

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Souvik Roy