The Next Wave: Inside Aaliyah Edwards’ Rise

By Jordyn Weinberg

From Kingston, Ontario to the League: She Doesn’t Skip the Reps

The gym isn’t loud yet—just the echo of a ball hitting hardwood, over and over, a rhythm born of habit. It’s the part no one sees, but it’s where Aaliyah Edwards has always been most comfortable: in the repetition, in the quiet, in the extra minutes that stretch longer than they’re supposed to. Long before the WNBA, before UConn, before the expectations that come with being one of the league’s most closely watched young forwards, there were hours like this. First in Kingston, then in Toronto at Crestwood Prep, where her game sharpened as quickly as her role expanded. By the time she arrived at the University of Connecticut, she wasn’t just keeping up, she was building something. Turning effort into consistency, consistency into presence. Now, entering her second season with the Connecticut Sun, Edwards is still putting in the work because for her, the rise isn’t a moment; it’s a routine.

Built in the In-Between: Finding Balance

Everyone sees the on-court performance, but a great deal of work happens behind the scenes.

When you’re younger you’re so eager to get everything done because you have such a huge drive for the game. You’re like, this is what I’m seeing other people do that I look up to, this is what my family’s telling me to do… As you grew older you’re shifting your mindset to a tunnel vision of what you really need to be focused on.

— Aaliyah Edwards, Connecticut Sun

That instinct—to wake up earlier, to stay a little longer—never left Aaliyah Edwards. It followed her to the Canadian national team, where being one of the youngest at just 16 years old meant an eagerness to do everything she could to be the best possible player and teammate.Now, that discipline looks different. The work is still there, but so is the awareness of when to step away. Time isn’t just something she fills anymore; it’s something she manages. The hours before basketball practice, the minutes between lifts, and the space at the end of the day all carry weight. What people don’t see isn’t just the extra reps; it’s the preparation that surrounds them — the choice to stop, to rest, so that tomorrow can be better.

Being comfortable with being uncomfortable is something that I’ve learned to do. So being young in the league, like you have to be adaptable to whatever’s thrown your way. As you said, it’s not usually a straight line, but as long as you know what your values are and what your priorities are, and leaning on those and having a circle that can help support you and lift you up in those moments where you’re at your lowest is the most important thing.

— Aaliyah Edwards, Connecticut Sun

For Edwards, balance isn’t about doing less; it’s about making the work sustainable. As an Endy Sleep Ambassador, that means understanding performance isn’t built in a single session, but over days, weeks, and years of showing up with something still left to give. The early mornings are still part of her story, but now so is the rest that allows her to keep competing.

We need those moments to be like, just completely shut everything off. And I think also just plugging yourself into other things outside of basketball really helps with that

— Aaliyah Edwards, Connecticut Sun

The Rise, Rewritten

Aaliyah Edwards scores a basket in a white basketball uniform

It’s easy to call it a rise, as if it happens all at once—fast, visible, inevitable. But for Aaliyah Edwards, it’s been quieter than that. Less a breakthrough than a layering. Years that don’t announce themselves. Time spent early, time spent late, time spent in between, stacking in ways that don’t always show up right away. What looks like momentum is often just memory: mornings spent training, long practices, the expectations she learned to meet before anyone named them. Now, as her game continues to expand into a new era, the shape of that rise has shifted. It’s no longer about how quickly she can get there, but how deliberately she can build something that lasts.

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The Next Wave: Inside Aaliyah Edwards’ Rise

From Kingston, Ontario to the League: She Doesn’t Skip the Reps

Built in the In-Between: Finding Balance

The Rise, Rewritten

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