Canadian Aaliyah Edwards leaves UConn for Mystics at No. 6 in WNBA draft

TV cameras panned toward Edwards inside the sold-out Brooklyn Academy of Music as she hugged her parents and brothers before heading to the podium and collecting a Mystics jersey from commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

“This is amazing,” a visibly emotional Edwards told WNBA reporter Holly Rowe just after the pick. “It’s a dream come true to actually walk your dream. It means a lot.”

Edwards thanked her family — particularly her mother, who once coached her: “I had to push myself. You know, being a coach’s kid, it’s a lot of expectations. But I pride myself on that and hold myself to a higher standard.”

Projected to go anywhere from fifth to eighth in mock drafts, Edwards leaves college with a stellar resumé. In four years with the Huskies, she averaged 17.6 points and 9.2 rebounds and reached the Final Four three times. UConn made it to the 2022 championship game before losing to South Carolina. She was the Big East’s most improved player in 2023, and was twice named to the all-Big East first team.

She will make $73,439 (U.S.) in salary as a rookie, according to a scale on the Spotrac website.

This marks the second year in a row that a Canadian has been selected in the first round. Last year, Laetitia Amihere of Mississauga, who won an NCAA title at South Carolina, went eighth to the Atlanta Dream.

The highest Canadian pick was Stacey Dales of Brockville, third by the Washington Mystics in 2002. Hamilton’s Kia Nurse went 10th to the New York Liberty in 2018, and Bridget Carleton of Chatham was selected 21st by the Connecticut Sun in 2019.

Edwards and several other Canadians in the WNBA are also gearing up to play for Canada at the Paris Olympics, which start July 26. Representing her country on the global stage is a responsibility Edwards takes to heart.

“Mad love from Canada and across the board. I get so many messages of support and I feel all the love,” she said. “I’m just really grateful to make an impact here in the States, and to kind of open the doors for all the little girls who wish they could be in my position — and will be in my position in the future — just to lead the way, so they can build their own footprints.”

Steve Bauer, an assistant coach with Canada’s senior women’s team, said Edwards’ defensive game improved dramatically throughout college, adding that she has the tools to make a similar leap offensively in the WNBA.

“She’s a much more dynamic offensive player,” Baur recently told the Associated Press. “And I think if you give Aaliyah two to three more years in pro context, she’s going to continue to expand her range shooting, and I think she’s going to continue to expand her offensive game.”