Aaliyah Edwards

Last updated

Aaliyah Edwards
Aaliyah Edwards Mystics (cropped).jpg
Edwards with the Washington Mystics in 2024
No. 24Washington Mystics
Position Forward
League WNBA
Personal information
Born (2002-07-09) July 9, 2002 (age 22)
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight174 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school Crestwood Prep
(Toronto, Ontario)
College UConn (2020–2024)
WNBA draft 2024: 1st round, 6th overall pick
Selected by the Washington Mystics
Playing career2024–present
Career history
2024–present Washington Mystics
Career highlights and awards
  • Second-team All-AmericanUSBWA (2024)
  • Third-team All-American – AP, USBWA (2023)
  • WBCA Coaches' All-American (2024)
  • 2× First-team All-Big East (2023, 2024)
  • Big East Most Improved Player of the Year (2023)
  • Big East Sixth Woman of the Year (2021)
  • Big East All-Freshman Team (2021)
  • Big East tournament MOP (2023)
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
FIBA Women's AmeriCup
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2019 Puerto Rico
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2023 León
FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2017 Argentina

Aaliyah Edwards (born July 9, 2002) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball at UConn. Edwards played high school basketball at Crestwood Preparatory College, in Toronto, Ontario, where she led her school to three championships and played for Canadian national U16, U17 and senior FIBA Cup teams. Recruited by UConn's Geno Auriemma and the Huskies, Edwards excelled in her junior and senior seasons, both years appearing on NCAA women's All-America teams.

Contents

College career

Edwards graduated after playing with the UConn Huskies women's basketball team for four seasons. [1] As a junior, she averaged double-double of 18.3 points and 11 rebounds per game, an improvement from her sophomore season, when she averaged 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. The sturdy junior forward became the first UConn player with 20 points and 20 rebounds since Maya Moore in 2010. [2] Edwards was selected first-team All-Big East and second-team All-America as a senior, a season in which UConn narrowly lost against Iowa in the Final Four after playing to a record-breaking 14.4 million ESPN basketball viewers.

National team career

Edwards has won silver at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Women's Americas Championship as part of the junior team, and then silver with the senior team at the 2019 FIBA Women's AmeriCup.

In July 2021, Edwards was named to Canada's 2020 Olympic team. [3] [4]

Personal life

Aaliyah Edwards was born in Kingston, Ontario, to parents Jacqueline and Stanford Edwards. She wears purple and yellow braids to pay homage to the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant. She is of Jamaican descent. [5]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold Career best°League leader

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2020–21 UConn 29621.868.90.063.65.70.91.01.02.010.7
2021–22 UConn 362624.952.140.074.05.11.41.10.52.17.9
2022–23 UConn 373732.758.9100.077.39.02.41.21.13.016.6
2023–24 UConn 373730.359.30.074.79.22.11.71.02.517.6
Career13910627.859.333.373.67.31.81.30.92.413.4

Awards and honors

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References

  1. Ewing, Lori (February 17, 2021). "Canada's Aaliyah Edwards shining in freshman season unlike any other at UConn". Canadian Press . Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  2. Gonzalez, Isabel. "Aaliyah Edwards becomes first UConn player with 20 points, 20 rebounds in a game since Maya Moore". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  3. "Canada's Tokyo 2020 women's basketball team announced". Basketball Canada. June 30, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  4. Awad, Brandi (June 29, 2021). "Team Canada's women's basketball squad ready to shoot for Olympic podium". Canadian Olympic Committee . Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  5. "Player With Jamaican Descent Drafted To WNBA". www.radiojamaicanewsonline.com. April 16, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  6. Adamec, Carl. "UConn notebook: Sweet repeat for Lopez Sénéchal". Journal Inquirer. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  7. "Aaliyah Edwards". WNBA DRAFT. Retrieved April 1, 2024.