Aaliyah Edwards facts for kids
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Edwards with the Washington Mystics in 2024
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| No. 24 – Washington Mystics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | July 9, 2002 Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
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| High school | Crestwood Prep (Toronto, Ontario) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 174 lb (79 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | UConn (2020–2024) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2024 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Washington Mystics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2024–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | WNBA | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Washington Mystics | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Mist BC | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Aaliyah Edwards (born July 9, 2002) is a Canadian professional basketball player. She plays for the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Before joining the WNBA, she played college basketball at UConn. Aaliyah was picked 6th overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2024 WNBA draft. She has played for the senior Canadian national team since she was 16 years old.
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High School
Aaliyah Edwards played basketball at Crestwood Preparatory College. This school is in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She helped her team win three championships during her time there.
College Career
Edwards played four seasons with the UConn Huskies women's basketball team. This is a top college basketball program. In her third year, she had amazing stats. She averaged 18.3 points and 11 rebounds per game. This is called a double-double because she reached double digits in two areas. It was a big improvement from her second year.
She became the first UConn player since 2010 to get 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game. That's a rare achievement! In her final year, she was named first-team All-Big East. She also earned second-team All-America honors. Her UConn team almost made it to the championship game. They lost a close game to Iowa in the Final Four. Millions of people watched that game on TV.
Professional Career
WNBA
Washington Mystics (2024–present)
On April 15, 2024, Aaliyah Edwards was chosen in the 2024 WNBA draft. She was the sixth player picked overall. The Washington Mystics selected her. A few days later, she signed her first professional contract.
Edwards played her first WNBA game on May 15, 2024. She scored 6 points and grabbed 2 rebounds. She came into the game from the bench, meaning she was not a starter. On May 19, 2024, she started her first WNBA game. She had 9 points and 11 rebounds.
Her best game of the season was on June 6, 2024. She scored a career-high 23 points. She also had 14 rebounds and 4 blocks. Throughout her first season, she sometimes started games and sometimes played off the bench. She often filled in for another player, Shakira Austin, who was injured. Aaliyah herself missed a few games due to back and ankle injuries. In her first year, she played in 34 games and started 17 of them. She averaged 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
Unrivaled
In October 2024, it was announced that Edwards will play in Unrivaled. This is a new women's 3x3 basketball league. It was started by famous WNBA players Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Aaliyah will play in its first season in 2025.
National Team Career
Aaliyah Edwards first played for Canada internationally in 2017. She joined the Canadian junior national team. They won a silver medal at the FIBA Under-16 Women's Americas Championship. She also played in the 2018 and 2019 U17 and U19 FIBA World Cups. She was the youngest player on both of those teams.
In 2019, at just 16 years old, Edwards joined the senior national team. This is Canada's main team. She helped Canada win a silver medal at the 2019 FIBA Women's AmeriCup. Later that year, she helped Canada qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
She was the youngest player on the team for the 2021 FIBA Women's AmeriCup. Canada finished fourth in that tournament. In July 2021, she was named to Canada's roster for the Tokyo Olympics. Again, she was the youngest player on the team. She played a small amount of time in two games. Canada did not make it to the quarterfinals.
In the 2023 FIBA Women's AmeriCup, Edwards was a key player. Her team won bronze medals. She played well, averaging 10 points and 8 rebounds per game.
In July 2024, Edwards was again chosen for Canada's Olympic team. She played in all three group stage games at the 2024 Summer Olympics. She averaged 3.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. However, Canada did not move on to the quarterfinals.
Personal Life
Aaliyah Edwards was born in Kingston, Ontario. Her parents are Jacqueline and Stanford Edwards. She often wears purple and yellow braids in her hair. This is a tribute to the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team and the late player Kobe Bryant. It also honors her late brother, Jermaine. Aaliyah is of Jamaican descent.
See Also
- Canada women's national basketball team
- Washington Mystics
- UConn Huskies women's basketball
