Picked Over Angel Reese, Aaliyah Edwards Points Out Major Factors in Settling Into WNBA

It is a known fact that the WNBA is very different from the NCAA. As the regular season has started, newly picked rookies are trying their best to adjust to the demands of a pro league. The Washington Mystics star Aaliyah Edwards recently opened up on the same after their team’s loss to the Seattle Storm. The 21-year-old was asked a flurry of questions including the differences between the WNBA and the NCAA. Her answer presented an insight into the workings of the biggest women’s basketball league.

Aaliyah Edwards was present in an interaction on Sunday which was uploaded on ‘TJ Sports Queens‘ official YouTube channel. However, a point to note was that Edwards’ insight somewhat resembled that of the no. 1 pick Caitlin Clark.

Aliyah Edwards takes the Caitlin Clark route

An observant Edwards gave fans a glimpse of the difference between the WNBA and the NCAA. She was asked about her experience after a string of losses and Edwards’ answer reflected her insight into the game.

USA Today via Reuters

“Yeah, difference is bigger, stronger. Players I’m up against, grown women. So there’s that factor but I think that I just try to stay… focus on my timing, focus on just trying to get extra possessions for my teammates. So that’s really my focus but it’s not too much of a change,” Edwards stated.

Aaliyah Edwards was drafted as the sixth overall pick in the first round of the WNBA 2024. She was picked up before the NCAA sensation Angel Reese, who got drafted at the seventh position by the Chicago Sky. Edwards’s journey in the WNBA has been tough till now. She could only pot 6 points in her regular season debut against the New York Liberty.

In the next game against the Connecticut Sun, Edwards scored 6 points. Therefore, she hasn’t lived up to her NCAA reputation. Though her most recent game against Seattle Storm showed some change as she nabbed 11 rebounds but offensively could score only 9 points. However, even after that, the Mystics haven’t won any games. And much of Edwards’s lack of points can be attributed to the physicality of the game. It is not only Edwards but Clark too had spoken at length about the physically strong opponents in the WNBA.

Caitlin Clark lists her problems

Clark had once opined that physicality was a big change in the WNBA. This also translates to the league allowing less scope for fouls. Similarly, she had also stated that “you can’t take a second off”. This means that the cash-rich league demands more time and attention from the players. Clark further added that the WNBA has way more talent than the NCAA, “not that many spots so every person that’s getting on the floor is… is really really talented”

Hopefully, Aaliyah Edwards will overcome the challenges of the WNBA and help her team win their first regular season game soon