I found the time to look at a lot more videos of Blanca from the last month or so. Some of them are low quality, some may be from cell phones, and a few are at court level instead of the high angle of the tv broadcasts.
One thing the courtside videos show is how big Blanca is. This is sometimes hard to tell from higher angles. She is not little. She is also not slight. I’d compare her physically to Ayanna more than to Caroline or Morgan. I might compare her to Cotie McMahon, only taller and with a better perimeter shot. Maybe a bit like Lou Lopez Senechal — perhaps not quite the same perimeter shooter, but a similar energy and courage and better defense. She’s quick and strong like Aubrey and finishes really well at the rim.
She is a high energy player. She leaps, she dives for loose balls, she blocks shots, she runs the floor, she drives the lane. She has very active hands.
The only question for me is how long it will take her to absorb Geno’s system, especially on defense. How long did it take Lou? It’s not clear from the highlights videos how sophisticated Campobasso’s defense really is. Earlier in the season, Blanca spends a lot of time guarding someone on the wing and this doesn’t showcase her ability very well. In later games, you see more of the defensive switching and a complex passing game on offense.
I agree that Blanca will be a great partner for Sarah. Just as a physical pair, they’re similar in size but contrasting in energy. And they could make for an amazing high-low game between them.
