An appreciative Aaliyah Edwards took her place in UConn women’s basketball history on Wednesday.

Before the No. 1 Huskies met Xavier at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn., Edwards watched the unveiling of her UConn No. 3 in the Huskies of Honor group. A banner with her name and number now hangs next to those recognizing the 2015 and 2016 national championship teams, added earlier this month in a similar ceremony.

The festivities for Edwards, 23, were rescheduled from Jan. 19 because she was unavailable due to her commitment to the Lunar Owls of the Unrivaled women’s pro league.

That league is based in Miami, and the snowstorm that blanketed Storrs and the northeast on Sunday into Monday caused some travel headaches, she said.

“Man, was it a mission,” she said. “The snowstorm was not my friend. Not my friend at all.”

But she was surrounded by an arena full of friends, of fans grateful for her time at UConn from 2020-04. Their applause made the travel trouble worth it.

The 6-foot-3 Edwards qualified for the Huskies of Honor wall by virtue of being named a WBCA All-American during her senior season of 2023-24.

To start the ceremony, head coach Geno Auriemma presented Edwards with a UConn jacket at midcourt. Stopping to gather her emotions a couple of times, Edwards sent her appreciation to those she played with, those in the UConn program who aided the team, and the fans.

“Wow. All the feels, guys. All the feels,” said Edwards, wearing a dress fashioned to look like her UConn jersey and shorts.

She added: “I never set out to get recognized for an individual accomplishment but it truly feels so good to see my name up there in the rafters. Not only a recognition to me but also to my family. To be up there forever, it truly means the world to me.

“A lot people love UConn. This truly is a special place, but only a select few really understand how special it is.”

While a student-athlete at UConn, Edwards appeared in three Final Fours and a national championship game. After four seasons at Storrs, she stands 16th in Huskies history in career points (1,861), eighth in rebounds (1,020) and sixth in double-doubles (35). She was the sixth member of the Huskies to tally both 1,800 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.

She received multiple honors while at UConn. She was the 2021 Big East Sixth Woman of the Year, the conference’s Most Improved Player in 2023, and in 2024, Edwards was named a 2024 WBCA All-American, a Wooden Award All-American, a USBWA Second Team All-American and an All-Big East selection.

The Washington Mystics selected Edwards with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She now is on the roster of the Connecticut Sun.

In 70 professional career appearances (17 starts), she has averages of 6.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.

Edwards is a native of Canada and played on the country’s 2020 and 2024 women’s Olympic basketball teams.

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