WASHINGTON — The 2024 WNBA Draft was held Monday night, and the Washington Mystics selected forward Aaliyah Edwards from the University of Connecticut with the sixth overall pick in the draft.
“We are really excited to draft Aaliyah Edwards,” said General Manager Mike Thibault. “We needed to select a player who complements Shakira Austin in our front court. Her competitiveness, high-end defensive motor and fast-improving offensive game will fit well with what we are trying to build for our culture and future success.”
Edwards (6-3) averaged 17.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game with the Huskies while shooting .593 from the field in 37 games (all starts) as a senior this past season. She also totaled 18 double-doubles and was named Big East player of the week twice in 2023-24.
Edwards, a Canadian native, scored 24 points in the NCAA Elite Eight on Apr. 1 vs. USC and had a career-high five steals in the Final Four vs. Iowa on Apr. 5. She finished her collegiate career 15th in school history with 1,861 career points, eighth in rebounds with 1,020, sixth in double-doubles with 35, and was the sixth player in program history with 1,800 career points and 1,000 rebounds.
Edwards has earned multiple honors, including being named to the 2024 Big East First Team, a 2024 AP All-America honorable mention, a 2024 USBWA Second Team nod, was a top-10 finalist for 2024 WBCA All-America as well as the 2024 Wooden Award. She was just 16 years old when she became a member of the Canadian senior national team and was the youngest member of the Canadian team during her Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020.
Additionally, the team also brought on Kaylynne Truong with the 21st pick and Nastja Claessens with the 30th pick.
Truong, a Texas native, appeared in 36 games (all starts) for Gonzaga as a fifth-year senior during the 2023-24 season, averaging 11.4 points, career-best 5.8 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting .422 from three-point range. Her 208 assists during the 2023-24 season are the fourth-most in a single season in Bulldogs women’s basketball history
Claessens (6-0) is just 19 years old and has been a member of the Belgium National Team since 2019. She has appeared in eight games for the top division of the Royal Castors Braine in the Belgian Women's Basketball League. During the 2023-24 season, she has averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Do you have a news tip on this story or any other story? We want to hear from you. Tell us about it by emailing newstips@wusa9.com.
MORE WAYS TO GET WUSA9
DOWNLOAD THE WUSA9 APP
Apple App Store: WUSA9 News on Apple
Google Play Store: WUSA9 News on Android
HOW TO ADD THE FREE WUSA9+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for WUSA9.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "WUSA9" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE WUSA9 NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to our daily WUSA9 Newsletter for top stories from WUSA9 curated daily just for you. Get content and information right now for can’t-miss stories, Commanders content, weather, and more delivered right to your inbox.