The Washington Mystics are currently rebuilding. They only won 14 games in the 2024 season, traded Ariel Atkins—one of their veterans—to the Chicago Sky, and still have their eyes on high lottery picks. Mystics fans may have had to watch a lot of losses recently but there is still plenty to be excited about with this squat. One of those things is Aaliyah Edwards’ development.
Edwards averaged 7.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game as a WNBA rookie with the Mystics. Then, she went on to play in Unrivaled’s inaugural season and made some serious noise. The Mist, led by Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd, missed the postseason, but Edwards put together a solid regular season. She averaged 7.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in nine minutes per game.
The real highlight of Edwards’ Unrivaled season was the one-on-one tournament, however. Edwards entered the tournament as an eight-seed, having to face Breanna Stewart, one of the top veterans in the league. Edwards surprisingly won the matchup 12-0.
Beating Stewart in that way—even though we now know that Stewart was dealing with an injury—put Edwards on the map, even before she went on to beat Allisha Gray and Arike Ogunbowale on her way to the finals. Edwards did not beat Napheesa Collier but still sent quite the message with her performance in the tournament.
Napheesa Collier praises Aaliyah Edwards’ high ceiling
One-on-one champion and Unrivaled regular season MVP Napheesa Collier appeared on the latest episode of A Touch More with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe. Talking about Unrivaled, Bird asked Collier which player surprised or impressed her especially.
Collier immediately responded with Aaliyah Edwards’ name, admitting that she—as most WNBA fans—had not watched the Mystics play much during Edwards’ rookie season, and seeing her perform so well in Unrivaled had taken her by surprise.
“I think she just has a pretty high ceiling,” Collier said about the Mystics youngster.
Mystics fans should rejoice to hear that. Collier is one of the best players in the WNBA right now. She knows what a high ceiling and great potential look like, and the Mystics need as much of that as they can get. The franchise is currently building for the future, and, with three new first-round picks coming in after the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Mystics have to figure out which players they can build around and who can be the face of the franchise going forward.
Aaliyah Edwards could turn out to be a key piece for the Mystics for years if she wants to stay with the organization. She is only 22 years old and has plenty of room to grow. No matter what else the 2025 season holds, Mystics fans should be able to see Edwards realize at least some of her potential.