UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma shared insights Monday into the impending WNBA Draft decision of star forward Aaliyah Edwards. Amid speculation and anticipation, Auriemma’s comments shed light on the decision-making process facing today’s collegiate athletes, particularly those on the cusp of professional careers.
“I’m just guessing (Edwards will declare),” Auriemma said, per Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant. “Paige, she dropped a lot of little nuggets, but things change, you don’t know. Until the announcement is the announcement, that’s all you can do is just guess.”
With Paige Bueckers committing to a fifth year and Nika Mühl signaling her departure, the focus shifts to Edwards, whose stellar performance at UConn has not only spotlighted her on the national stage but also projected her as a top pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft.
“Some kids, four years is a perfect amount of time … Let's take a kid, like Aaliyah and Nika, you say, ‘Well, what are your aspirations after college? And how soon can you have those aspirations?’ And some kids, those opportunities to come sooner rather than others,” Auriemma said. “Somebody like Nika, you know, maybe she's a second-round draft pick. She's anxious, probably, to go back and play over in Croatia after being here for four years. And somebody, like Aaliyah, who’s probably at worst one of the top seven picks in the draft and her goals may be different than Nika.”
NIL rules affect international players like Aaliyah Edwards
Bueckers had told Auriemma that she wanted to play four years at UConn, a goal hindered by injuries that limited her to three years of play. Meanwhile, Muhl, hailing from Croatia, and Edwards, from Canada, face limitations in capitalizing on NIL earnings within the U.S. collegiate system. Both have completed four seasons with the Huskies.
“If they changed the rules, I bet you it would affect some of them,” Auriemma said. “They still have opportunities, just not as many and certainly not as varied where they can do it.”
Edwards, standing at 6 foot, 3 inches, has played 127 games for UConn, averaging 13.2 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game. This season, amid a spate of team injuries, her averages have risen to 18.6 points and 9.9 rebounds. She has only missed one game in her entire college playing career, until a broken nose during the Big East quarterfinals on March 9 led her to sit out the semifinals and finals.
Currently on the mend, Edwards has resumed practicing wearing the protective facemask. Auriemma is confident in Edwards being “100 percent ready to go” for the Huskies' opening NCAA Tournament game against Jackson State, scheduled for Saturday.
Should Edwards depart, UConn faces the challenge of filling her vital role in the frontcourt. The team is bolstered by the return of Bueckers and others like Azzi Fudd, Aubrey Griffin, Caroline Ducharme, Ayanna Patterson and Jana El Alfy from season-ending injuries. Ice Brady will enter the next season as a redshirt sophomore. El Alfy, at 6 feet, 5 inches, also brings a wealth of international experience from Egypt.
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