‘I would try to find a little scab that you have, something that bothers you, something that you don’t like to admit, or something that … you have a humongous reaction to it,’ Auriemma recently told the ‘Welcome to the Party’ podcast. ‘I like to find what that is, and then I’m all over that for the next four years.
‘That’s a sign of love, because why would you pick on people you don’t like? … If I’m not coming at you, that’s a bad sign.’
UConn freshman Blanca Quiñonez, who Auriemma jokes ‘leads the free world in turnovers,’ is the most recent recipient of Auriemma’s affection. The Ecuador native played in her second collegiate game Nov. 16, scoring 18 points but also turning the ball over five times.
“It’s a little bit slower game here, but in some way it’s a faster game because of how we play,” Auriemma said. “And I don’t think she’s used to being up this much, so that’s why she throws the ball to the other team a lot. But once we fix that, I think we’re going to be OK.”
Quiñonez is aware turnovers are her kryptonite. After UConn’s lopsided victory, 100-68, over Ohio State on Sunday, she and teammate Sarah Strong were looking over the box score. One look at Quiñonez’s line led to a gasp.
“I don’t know if it meant to say five turnovers. I think that was a typo,” Strong said with a laugh, when asked what she and Quiñonez were pointing to. “She’s good.”
Quiñonez said: “I need to just work on less turnovers, because I can do nothing more now. Just working on taking care of the ball.”
The 6-foot-2 forward can actually do a lot more, and that’s why Auriemma is riding her so hard. Quiñonez, who played professionally in Italy, was named Big East freshman of the week after averaging 11.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 steals in her first two games for UConn.
Auriemma admits he’s figuring out how to use Quiñonez’s talents effectively. He experimented with a big lineup Sunday that included the freshman, Strong (6-foot-2) and Azzi Fudd (5-foot-11).
“We’re bigger, we’re longer. We can match up with other teams’ bigger size, make teams have to match up with us,” Auriemma said. “I did like it. I don’t know that Blanca’s best position is there right now. You know Blanca and Sarah together where, you know they’re interchangeable, so we’re still finding out. But for the time that they were together, those three, I thought it was productive.”
For her part, Quiñonez says she likes to play fast and ‘put some extra energy in the game, play hard and just have fun.’ Her teammates have been impressed with her quick transition to the college game.
“Playing here your freshman year, it is a little daunting with the fans, just a new atmosphere, especially being so far away from home,’ Fudd said. ‘To see her immediately just looking incredible, being comfortable, I’m super proud of her.
‘She’s only going to get better as an individual and (with the) collective unit, so to know that this is kind of the start for her, it’s exciting.”
Auriemma knows it will take some time to harness Quiñonez’s skill set. And while he’s excited about what he’s seen so far, he knows they will have to work together to find common ground.
“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,” Auriemma said. “(She’s also) … unpredictable in, ‘No human being could possibly throw that pass and think that it’s a good pass.’
“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 going to have to meet somewhere in the middle, but I wouldn’t take anything away from her. I wouldn’t tell her to stop doing this or stop doing that. Not at all. Just need for her to constantly be aware of what’s a good decision, what’s a bad decision.”