Aaliyah Edwards was part of a handful of WNBA rookies who played in Unrivaled’s first season. She played nine minutes per game for the Mist and averaged 7.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists as Breanna Stewart’s backup. Edwards made waves during Unrivaled’s one-on-one tournament. She took down Breanna Stewart 12-0 in the first round and then went on to beat Allisha Gray and Arike Ogunbowale before losing to Napheesa Collier in the final.
After Unrivaled, Edwards seemed primed for a breakout season in the W. That didn’t happen. Instead, her role with the Mystics shrank, as she was stuck in the rotation behind Kiki Iriafen, Shakira Austin, and Stephanie Dolson. After 21 games, she was traded to the Sun and didn’t produce much in her first 15 games with her new team.
2026 may be the year Edwards has a true breakout season in the W. Her second Unrivaled season will prepare her to take on a bigger role with the rebuilding Connecticut Sun.
Edwards will play on a veteran-heavy Lunar Owls team
With two new clubs being added to Unrivaled and some significant player turnover, rosters were reshuffled and adjusted for the league’s second season. Last season’s playoff teams were allowed to protect two players, and non-playoff teams got to retain one player from last season’s roster. The Mist protected Breanna Stewart, meaning that Edwards was available to end up with a new team.
Edwards was in Pod F alongside Shakira Austin, Monique Billings, Cameron Brink, Brittney Griner, Naz Hillmon, Kiki Iriafen, and Li Yueru. She was drafted to the Lunar Owls. Between Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins, Marina Mabrey, Rachel Banham, and Rebecca Allen, the Lunar Owls have a very veteran roster.
Edwards won’t only get to compete against some of the best players in the world, but she will also get to learn from experienced veterans, including one of the best forwards in the game. Collier was the MVP runner-up in the WNBA two years in a row now, losing to A’ja Wilson. She is an excellent two-way player and a versatile and efficient scorer. There are few better players to learn from for a young forward like Edwards.
Edwards should be able to claim a bigger role with the Sun
When Edwards joined the Sun, the team already had an established frontcourt rotation of Tina Charles, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, and Aneesah Morrow. Charles will be an unrestricted free agent, and Nelson-Ododa will hit restricted free agency. There is no guarantee that either one will be back and even if they are, the Sun may want to focus more on developing their younger players.
The franchise is only one year into a rebuild that may take several seasons. Morrow, Edwards, Saniya Rivers, and Leila Lacan are an interesting young group, but they need time to grow and develop. A healthy mix of abundant playing time and good veteran leadership is usually a recipe for success with young talent like that.
Another offseason of playing in Unrivaled and ample opportunities with the Sun may be just what Edwards needs to have her best WNBA season yet.