The next big Canadian name in the WNBA is headed to Washington.
The Washington Mystics selected Kingston, Ont., native Aaliyah Edwards with the sixth-overall pick in Monday’s 2024 WNBA Draft.
Edwards, 21, was a two-time all-American with the storied University of Connecticut program, and she finished out her senior season with career highs of 17.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
Edwards declared for the draft on March 21, referring to the recent NCAA women’s basketball tournament as her “last dance.” She helped lead UConn to a Final Four appearance before the Huskies dropped a close game to eventual runner-up Iowa.
The six-foot-three forward said she was ready to move on, passing up on one remaining year of college eligibility she had due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A Canadian has now been selected in the first round in two straight years. Laeticia Amihere went eighth overall in last year’s draft.
Edwards joins a Mystics team that finished seventh overall in 2023 with a record of 19-21.