Aaliyah Edwards makes Connecticut Sun home debut

Last Thursday, Edwards was a part of a trade that also sent former Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon to the Washington Mystics. Edwards joins the Sun in just her second WNBA season after being drafted No. 6 overall in 2024 by the Mystics.

At the start of the second quarter, Edwards was introduced for the first time in a Sun uniform, and the crowd erupted in cheers. For Connecticut basketball fans, Edwards was back home.

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Despite the chaos that comes with being traded during the season, Edwards has embraced it all. In her home debut she recorded two points, one rebound and one steal in just 12 minutes. 

“It’s kind of a special game for me today, because it’s like a home opener for me … [I have] three games under my belt wearing a Connecticut Sun jersey, and I’m loving every bit of it,” Edwards told reporters with enthusiasm prior to tip-off.

UConn coined themselves the “Basketball Capital of the World” because of the success both their men’s and women’s programs have enjoyed, and their dedicated home fan base. Edwards says she is excited to be back in Connecticut and to be surrounded by loyal fans once again.

“They always just show up for us, [they’re] very electric, very passionate,” Edwards said before the game last nights. “And I’m super excited to be surrounded by that again today. I cant wait to hear them scream when I check in, I’m excited.” 

Fans were decked out in Edwards’ No. 8 (which she wears in honor of Kobe Bryant) Sun jersey and many were wearing UConn merchandise as well. The love fans have for her was made clear by the loud and embracing energy that filled the air.

Edwards is now a part of a team that includes three other former UConn players: centers Tina Charles and Olivia Nelson-Ododa, and guard Bria Hartley. Nelson-Ododa and Edwards, who played one season together at UConn, are reuniting to play on the same team again as professionals.  

Nelson-Ododa and Edwards have compared their relationship to that of a big/little sisters, and Nelson-Ododa expressed she was proud of the strides Edwards has taken as a player.  

“That’s my Lee, she was my little Freshy,” Nelson-Ododa told The Next with a bright smile. “Now it’s amazing just to see, how far she’s come … and what she can contribute to this team … it feels good [to reunite]. I love seeing Lee in the pros like this, she’s killing it on both ends of the ball. So, just to be able to be reunited, have that UConn connection with her, I mean, it’s great.”

With the family-like bond between former Huskies, Charles shared a sweet moment with Edwards during yesterday’s warmups as the two embraced tightly. Edwards told reporters that it has been comforting to be surrounded by former Huskies, as well as experienced veteran players, who have all helped her adjust to her new team.

Shift in energy

Edwards was up on her feet the entire game, cheering on her teammates and celebrating their success on the court. Her smile seemed to be lighting up the entire arena as she enjoyed her home debut in Connecticut.

With five minutes left in the first half, Edwards grabbed a defensive rebound, just after a scuffle that led to Hartley and Sky players Rebecca Allen and Ariel Atkins all being ejected. Her rebound led to a shot by Sun guard Lindsay Allen, which increased their lead to seven as the crowd roared.

With limited minutes in the game, Edwards still showed up when her teammates needed her most on and off the court. The scuffle that occurred was reviewed for an extensive amount of time by the referees, but Edwards was up on her feet laughing and smiling, trying to get her teammates to do the ‘Cupid Shuffle’ dance with her, completely shifting the energy.

She even influenced the energy in the arena, as fans danced and began doing the wave, their arms flopping up in down around the arena. In the past this season, when players have been ejected, the Sun have had a hard time shaking it off, adjusting and continuing to play. But Edwards’ presence is already impacting the team’s resilience and mentality.

Edwards adds a lot of talent and experience to a young and rebuilding roster. She brings Olympic experience from playing for Team Canada in Paris during the 2024 Olympics, as well as her NCAA postseason experience during her time at UConn. 

“[What she brings to this team is] her aggressiveness on defense on offense, just how polished she is on both ends, I think just how much she’s put into her game, and you can see it on the court and what she contributes on both ends. She’s just always on point, always locked in, and just aggressive. And so, with somebody like that, it’s easy to be put into a system, and she can mesh anywhere,” Nelson-Ododa said. 

Head coach Rachid Meziane says he likes the spark that Edwards has brought to the team, but he has high expectations for her offensively. Meziane noted that she hasn’t been a part of the long and hard season for the Sun, so she isn’t feeling the sense of defeat or doubt in her mind that other players may be battling.

“I like her energy, and she bring us fresh energy, a good fighting spirit,” Meziane told reporters pregame. “… and it’s not easy for her but I didn’t see her overthink [during her first two games] and she just played … She had only two practices, so its [been] very hard for her to adjust offensively. But she’s smart [and has been able] to learn through some film sessions. But I like her. She’s a good kid, she’s a good person, she’s a great person, and, like I said, defensively right now, she has, a positive impact. I expect more from her offensively.” 

The locker room

The vibes in the locker room have been kept positive throughout the season despite the lack of wins the Sun have had. Connecticut players are always seen dancing and smiling, whether that be warming up pregame, on TikTok or in the locker room.

“[What I like about her presence in the locker room is] her bubbly, high energy, she’s dancing, she’s hanging out, she fits right in,” guard Marina Mabrey told The Next. “Because we have a really good vibe group, it’s easy to have someone come in and it’s not good energy, and it will stand out … She just fits in with that high energy, good aura, I’m excited to be her teammate.” 

Edwards was dancing and laughing with her teammates throughout warmups before facing the Sky. Her smile never seemed to leave her face, showing how much fun she was having and the enjoyment she had just being with the team.

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Mabrey told The Next that Edwards already has a couple TikTok dances planned for them. Sun guard Saniya Rivers also loves to dance and has gotten along with Edwards right off the jump, embracing the positive energy that she brings to the team.

“Oh man, I love Aaliyah,” Rivers told reporters postgame. “Like I’ve said, we were an energetic group, so she just fits in perfectly. We turn on music, blast music before every game, and just get lit together, and she just gels right in. You would think she was with us the whole season” 

Meziane admires Edwards personality and is glad she is a new addition to the locker room. It seems that he thought she was just what they needed for now and for the future.

 “She’s very enthusiastic. She … [comes in] every time with a big smile and she’s bringing us a lot of fresh energy to our game … She’s like, sunshine on our team,” Meziane said. 

Looking ahead

The team’s future location and ownership is still up in the air, but it’s clear that this team has potential with the young talent they have gathered. Edwards joins a squad with a strong trio of rookies: forward Aneesah Morrow, guard Leïla Lacan and Rivers. 

That trio has already impacted the Sun significantly in the short time they’ve been with the team. Edwards says she sees what the future for the Sun holds and wants to be involved in what they are building. 

“I see this franchise being a championship team in the future, and I would love to be a part of it. And I think it starts with today, and building off of good habits, creating that culture and really working on the fundamentals now, since we’re in the second half of our season,” Edwards said. 

Edwards’ teammates and the coaching staff have noted that she has easily fit into the team and is adjusting quickly to the new system. It will take some time for her to fully acclimate, but her skill set and basketball intelligence will be important to carry momentum into next season.  

“She’s fit in seamlessly, with the skills that she has and the IQ that she has, she’s able to fit into any system … She’s continuing to work on her game, and with that, she can contribute to whichever team shes on,” Nelson-Ododa said.

During the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament this past off season, Edwards made waves for her impressive performance that knocked out elite players early, including fellow former Husky Breanna Stewart. Mabrey was able to observe Edwards’ performance and the hard work she put in during her time in Miami.

“I think, she’s always had it in her, but I think something that impressed me at Unrivaled is that I saw her in the gym. She worked really hard. She was always in the weight room, in the player development gym, playing one-on-one … working on her game. So that stuck out to me a lot,” Mabrey said.

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Edwards has a lot of enthusiasm about being able to wear Connecticut across her chest again and even has plans to get former college coaches Geno Auriemma and Chris Dailey out to watch some of her home games.  

“Yeah, I plan on visiting [Geno]. He should come visit me, actually, before I go visit him,” Edwards said with a laugh. “Because Storrs [Connecticut] is a bit far from Mohegan, I just told CD that she has no excuse not to come visit me now and watch a game but she gotta sit courtside, gotta make sure she’s right.” 

Edwards will play a dozen more games with the Sun to finish out the season, but will be an important asset to the team’s success in 2026. She has the experience to take on that challenge, from playing at UConn to earning minutes with the Mystics.

“I think [Meziane] being the coach he is, he always has prepared us for anything that’s thrown at us, and it starts in practice,” Edwards said. “And I think that going into year two [of the WNBA] I’ve always held myself to the standards similar to what I did in college, and it’s just being ready for anything. Do your work in silence, so that when the time comes and your name is called, you’re ready.”