Aaliyah Edwards is set to bring her talents to the WNBA after excelling for four seasons at UConn. She's projected to be picked either fifth or sixth overall in the first round of Monday's draft.
Edwards made her intentions known in a social media post in February, declaring that she would forgo her final year of eligibility with the Huskies and enter the WNBA Draft.
The six-foot-three forward out of Canada has wowed college basketball fans with her post moves and sweet touch around the rim. In her four seasons with the Huskies, Edwards helped UConn make the Final Four in 2021 and 2022.
Last year, the USBWA and The Associated Press named her a third-team All-American and this year, USBWA named her in the second team and was named in AP's honorable mention list.
Edwards played 139 games in four seasons for UConn and averaged 13.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. Her final season was special, as she tallied 17.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.7 spg and 1.0 bpg. She recorded a total of 32 double-doubles in her collegiate career, including 18 in her senior year.
A mock draft posted by ESPN expects the Dallas Wings to pick Edwards as fifth overall, while mock drafts from The Athletic, Bleacher Report and CBS Sports project the Canadian to fall to the Washington Mystics' as their No. 6 overall selection.
What are Aaliyah Edwards' strengths and weaknesses?
NBA Draft Room describes Edwards as a highly efficient and powerful post player who has a high percentage of field goals made.
In her last season with the Huskies, she shot 59.3%. She's deceivingly quick and tough to guard in the lane due to her strength. The six-foot-three forward can also finish in open court and has great mobility and athleticism.
Her possible weakness is her outside shooting, as most of her makes were from the inside. However, Edwards may likely expand her range when she arrives in the WNBA. Her 77% free throw accuracy shows a great chance of the forward expanding her range in the future.
Experts from ESPN and CBS Sports also weigh on Edwards' impact on the teams that would likely pick her in the draft.
"If Edwards is still available, the Wings don't seem likely to bypass her. Some of the strengths of Edwards' game were on display in the Final Four semifinal loss to Iowa, as were things she needs to work on. But she has the look of a pro post player," ESPN's Michael Voepel said.
"You can quibble with the lack of range on her jumper, but there's really nothing Edwards does poorly. She's versatile, efficient, athletic and works hard. If the Mystics can get her at No. 6, that would be a huge win for them following a chaotic offseason," CBS Sports' Jack Maloney added.
After four seasons in the collegiate ranks, Aaliyah Edwards is ready to bring her stuff to the WNBA. Whether she goes fifth, sixth or in the latter first round, the UConn forward is expected to give her full effort just like what she does every game with the Huskies.
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