UConn women’s basketball expects all injured players back for Cornell opener

STORRS — The UConn women’s basketball team appears to be getting healthy just in time for the season opener, with all three of its injured players expected to be available for Monday’s game against Cornell. Blanca Quiñonez (shoulder) and Marine Dursus (foot) sat out all three exhibition games, and Morgan Cheli (undisclosed) played in only one of them. UConn's exhibition takeaways: What we learned about UConn women’s basketball in three exhibition gamesUConn vs Army: UConn women's basketball vs Army | Huskies rout Knights in final exhibition gameCoach Geno Auriemma said all three were back at practice, and he expects each of them to see the floor. “Fortunately, today was actually the first day that every single kid on the roster practiced,” Auriemma said after Saturday’s practice in Storrs. “So, that’s a good thing.” Quiñonez is expected to be a big piece for the Huskies this season. The sophomore forward from Ecuador is the reigning Big East Freshman and Sixth Woman of the Year after averaging 10.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game. #UConn coach Geno Auriemma said finding out his team’s identity will be a big part of Monday’s opener: pic.twitter.com/Da6tUSoxk2— Nathan Canilao (@nathancanilao) October 31, 2026Cheli, a redshirt sophomore, missed all of last season with an ankle injury. She played 24 games off the bench as a true freshman. Dursus is healing from a foot injury she has dealt with since coming over from France. She is a highly touted international player, who played for La Boulangère Wonderligue — the top women’s basketball league in France — for four seasons. “Just super excited to have Blanca, Marine and maybe Morgan,” UConn forward Sarah Strong said. “Just happy to play with them.” Auriemma noted that not all players were full participants, but he is expecting that each will be available in some capacity. “Not 100% full (participants), but they were all there, and they all did something, and some did more than others,” Auriemma said. “But again, I'm expecting everyone to be available for at least something.” Auriemma said he is not sure what to expect from the three on Monday, especially after the time Quiñonez has missed. “Let’s take Blanca, for example. No matter how many minutes she plays, it’s gonna look whatever, and you’ve got to be prepared for whatever,” Auriemma said. “You haven’t touched a basketball on the court for six months. That’s a long time to be away from the game. Same with Marine. You don’t know what you’re gonna get. Same with Morgan Cheli. You don’t know what you’re going to get. So, hopefully, whatever they can give us will be a start to what’s coming after Monday.” This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: UConn women’s basketball expects all injured players back for Cornell opener