“Li' skissss birthday”: UConn star Paige Bueckers sends energetic cheers to Aaliyah Edwards on her special day

UConn Huskies point guard Paige Bueckers sent birthday wishes to her former teammate, Aaliyah Edwards, who turned 22 on Tuesday. Bueckers reposted a post of the Washington Mystics forward on her Instagram story and wrote:

"Li' skissss birthday."

Paige Bueckers posts on her Instagram story

Edwards also posted on Instagram, thanking all her followers who wished her on her special day.

"Counting my blessings, not the years lol. Appreciate the bday wishes! Y'all really know how to make a girl feel special," Edwards wrote.

"Birthday gyalllll," Paige Bueckers further commented on the post, adding a smiling face with heart-eyes emoji.

Paige Bueckers comments on Aaliyah Edwards' birthday post (IG: Aaliyah Edwards)

Bueckers and Edwards played together at Connecticut for four seasons. They both joined the Huskies in 2020, and since then, the two have developed a strong friendship.

Bueckers, a 6-foot guard, made a trip to Washington in June to show her support for Edwards during a Mystics vs. Las Vegas Aces WNBA game. Bueckers wore Edwards' Mystics jersey No. 24 as she cheered her on throughout the game, alongside former Husky Azzi Fudd. Edwards has played 19 games in her rookie WNBA season, averaging 8.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

Paige Bueckers shortlisted for the 2024 ESPYS presenters

UConn's Paige Bueckers made it onto the star-studded list of presenters for this year's ESPYS award show. Several big names from the world of sports are expected to attend the event taking place on Thursday.

Former tennis player Serena Williams will host the show, while Draymond Green, Nick Saban, Venus Williams, Allen Iverson and Lindsey Vonn will also make appearances.

For Bueckers, this is not the first time she has attended the ESPY Awards. She won the Women's Sports Best College Athlete honor in 2021. In her acceptance speech, Bueckers honored Black women in basketball.

"With the light that I have now as a white woman who leads a Black-led sport and celebrated here, I want to shed a light on Black women," Bueckers said. "They don’t get the media coverage that they deserve. They’ve given so much to the sport, the community and society as a whole and their value is undeniable."

The 22-year-old is entering her last college season in 2024-25. Bueckers is expected to be a top pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. She was among the top three picks in the 2024 draft, but she decided to return to UConn for her final year of college eligibility.