Aaliyah Edwards is good at basketball.
That's why she was chosen as the 6th overall in 2024. WNBA Draft, and that's why she was selected by the Nationals as the second inning. uconn Husky.
The 6'3 forward averaged 7.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists, fresh from his solid rookie season with Washington's mystics.
But Aaliyah Edwards is not a common name, she is do not have It is expected to win the Unralived 1V1 tournament. At just 22 years old, Edwards had to face off against more veteran players. In the WNBA, Edwards doesn't shoot a 3-pointer. And while she's a solid all-around player, she's not a massive scorer that many other unparalleled players do.
As such, she was chosen by the players and media as one of the tournament's number 8 seeds, and was not expected to advance beyond two MVP Breanna Stewart in the first round.
Still, she is one of the last four players. It started with an incredible 12-0 defeat against Breanna Stewart, one of the best scorers the WNBA has seen. Edwards scored in a variety of ways – a drive to the basket, a pull-up three, you name it. And she showed her defensive versatility in stopping Stewart from reaching her spot.
Following that victory over Allisha Gray, he was the third leading scorer connected, and many were a favorite of many to win it. Edwards absorbed a ton of contact throughout the competition, using her size and strength to defeat Gray in countless baskets in the post.
So Edwards has already won a $25,000 prize money simply to compete in the semi-finals. That figure is more than a third of her rookie salary in the WNBA, which is under $74,000. But more money will appear on Friday. She will compete for the $200,000 grand prize in Unralied's first 1V1 tournament.
She still has to win two games and become the winner. First against vinyl club Arike Ogunbowale, then Azura Stevens (Rose Club) and Napheesa Collier (club against the winners of other semi-final matches between Lunar Owls). Ogunbowale and Collier are two of the best scorers in the game, while Stevens is a stretch big who can take advantage of her size and versatility to defeat everyone.
It's difficult to win two more wins against some of the best basketball players in the world. But it would be hard to bet on Edwards. Edwards showed that she wasn't easy and put her name on the map.
