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It’s funny how quickly things change in the WNBA.
A year ago Aaliyah Edwards was drafted No. 6 overall by the Washington Mystics and, after starring as a leading player for the UConn Huskies, was poised to become an instant contributor and a future star. In her rookie year, she found herself stepping in for an injured Shakira Austin, averaging 7.6 points and grabbing 5.6 boards as she started 17 of the 34 games she appeared in.
However, prior to the start of the 2025 season, Edwards suffered a lower back contusion, which opened the door for rookie Kiki Iriafen, drafted No. 4 overall, to take over the starting position, and she’s not planning on giving it back. Nor should she. Iriafen and Austin are jelling so well together that the Mystics made two trades at the deadline. Edwards’ minutes had dropped to 13 per contest this year and her numbers are also down; she was averaging six points and 3.3 rebounds.
Now, she’s a Connecticut Sun. Before Thursday’s deadline, the Sun traded guard Jacy Sheldon and a first-round pick swap in the 2026 WNBA Draft for the 6-foot-3 Canadian.
It’s significant that the Sun were willing to sacrifice Sheldon.
She was selected by the Dallas Wings one pick before Edwards in the 2024 draft. Traded to the Sun over the offseason, Sheldon was beginning to find her niche on a new team, as she was given time and trust by a head coach who allowed her to make mistakes. The biggest improvement was her shooting accuracy, as she was making 47 percent of her shots, including 41 percent from 3, which will be greatly missed on a team that’s second-to-last in the former category and last in the latter.
The pick swap is unlikely to be impactful, as Washington can now choose between first-round picks originally owned by the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty, which project to be the final two picks of next spring’s draft. Still, the move is a clear indicator that the Sun, also owners of the Chicago Sky’s 2026 first-round pick, are willing to roll the dice in a guard-heavy draft to find a replacement for Sheldon, even if it will be hard to add a player who offers equal defensive ferocity.
In the immediate, the Sun organization will evaluate how Edwards responds to more minutes and more freedom as she makes a return to a familiar setting. The decision to make the move also may have been fueled by the presence of Tina Charles, who should take on a mentorship role with Edwards, as she’ll be preparing to forming a frontcourt trio with Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Aneesah Morrow for the foreseeable future.
So, while it’s hard to see Sheldon go, Sun fans should be excited to see what Edwards has to offer.
