Meet Aaliyah Edwards: The History-Making Rookie Who's Redefining Success In The WNBA
At just 22 years old, Aaliyah Edwards has already made history several times over.
Let’s go over a few of her stats: The Kingston, Ontario native became the first Canadian to secure a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal, when she signed with adidas Basketball back in 2024. She helped lead the UConn Huskies to multiple Final Four appearances. And at 18, she was the youngest member of the Canadian women’s basketball team at the Tokyo Olympics. Now, fresh out of her rookie season with the Washington Mystics, Edwards is writing her next chapter – one that’s as much about personal growth as it is about basketball dominance.
Edwards, who was the sixth overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, embodies what the future of women’s basketball looks like: fearless, multifaceted, and unapologetically herself. Meeting her for the first time, it was her purple and yellow hair that caught my eyes immediately, but it was her thoughtful perspective on the game that truly commanded the attention of everyone in the room — including myself.
“The biggest transition for me was how much of a mental game it is,” Edwards shares with ESSENCE about her jump to the pros. “I finished Final Four, had to do training camp a week later, and then two weeks after that, we’re in preseason games. It was a lot for me to get away from the college lifestyle, but also the college mentality of, I’m a senior, but now I’m going into being a rookie.”
https://www.essence.com/entertainment/sports/aaliyah-edwards-history-making-rookie-wnba-adidas/