UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- The UConn Huskies women's basketball team opened up the exhibition portion of its schedule with an 88-60 win over the Syracuse Orange on Monday night at Mohegan Sun Arena.

KK Arnold looked excellent in the win, showing a solid offensive upside. Freshman Olivia Vukosa showed what made her one of the top recruits in the entire country. And the UConn defense stifled Syracuse, especially in the backcourt.

But there was something else that stood out: The play of freshman Jovana Popovic, who started in place of the injured Blanca Quinonez. The native of Serbia played more than 31 minutes to lead the team, scoring 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting. She also had three assists. After the game, head coach Geno Auriemma spoke about how prepared she is for the college game, and also talked about international recruits as a whole.

"I think the way they practice over there, the way they train, they're always the youngest players on their team, and that, I think, forces them to grow up quicker. They're used to being away from home, so coming all the way over here takes a lot of guts, so there's a mature element to them and to their game.

And it's not a knock on the American kids. It's just different. It's different for them over there. The expectation for them over there is different.

And so it's not like we say, 'hey, we want to have 12 players on our team, and six of them have to be international players.' Doesn't work like that.

But as they start coming across the radar and as more and more of them start to see college as an incredible alternative for them and staying home, it's here to stay, and it's going to force you to make decisions. And I would say we're probably not done recruiting those international players."

UConn has certainly had international players before, and Quinonez herself comes from Ecuador. And Popovic looks like she's about to carve a nice role for herself. She already shows a keen understanding of the game, didn't get sped up, and wasn't overwhelmed by a big crowd, which she says is not a regular occurance in Serbia. 

To Auriemma's point, college is now a better/different option for players than it used to be. The advent of NIL money gives international players a financial incentive to come over, and the fifth-year of eligibility helps them maximize those opportunities as well.

Furthermore, the WNBA continues to take off and as it does, more players likely see a professional future as attainable and desirable. Getting into the college game helps secure those opportunities. 

The Huskies will be back in action on Monday night for the second exhibition game of the year. They'll take on Texas, one of the nation's best programs, at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET.

While Quinonez is making solid progress from a pair of offseason surgeries, it's unknown when she'll return to the lineup. That means that Popovic is likely to see extended action yet again.