Aaliyah Edwards had a tense and emotional Final Four showdown as the UConn Huskies fell 71-69 in a nail-biter to Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday. As the final seconds ticked away, UConn had a chance to tie or win the game, but a controversial call ultimately sealed the Huskies' fate.
Following the loss, the star forward didn't hold back, telling reporters:
“I wasn't given an explanation. There was no real time to get an explanation. From my point of view, it was pretty clean.”
Posting on Instagram, Aaliyah Edwards expressed her mental state, praising the fans who have supported her.
"The hate is loud, but the love is louder…" Edwards wrote.
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The Huskies' bench and coach Geno Auriemma were dismayed by the late-game decision, with many WNBA and NBA stars voicing their support on social media.
The consensus was that the officials should have allowed contact in the waning moments, adhering to the "let them play" philosophy that is often employed in close, high-stakes games
Angel Reese jumps on the bandwagon supporting Aaliyah Edwards
One of the latest voices to join the chorus of criticism is from LSU superstar Angel Reese, who expressed her confusion over the decisive play on X.
"Wait, was that screen not clean?" Reese wrote.
The play occurred with just 3.9 seconds remaining and UConn trailing by one point. As Paige Bueckers prepared to take a potential game-winning shot, Edwards set a screen for her teammate.
However, the referees determined that Edwards was still in motion, calling an offensive foul and nullifying the Huskies' final attempt. The loss was a heartbreaker for UConn, which had fought back after trailing by as many as six points in the fourth quarter.
Bueckers and Edwards led the way for the Huskies, each scoring 17 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Hawkeyes' balanced attack. Hannah Stuelke paced Iowa with 23 points, while Caitlin Clark also contributed a well-rounded performance.
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