Can you imagine playing against someone who knows your every move? Aaliyah Edwards knows the risks. But in this WNBA season, she’s excited to take it against Paige Bueckers.

Former UConn star Aaliyah Edwards was officially inducted into the Huskies of Honor on Wednesday, January 28. The interviewer asked if she was looking forward to playing her former teammate, Bueckers. And the response was more than positive.

“Yeah, anytime I get to play against Paige, it’s fun, friendly banter”, the former UConn Forward stated enthusiastically. “You know, we’re both two competitors, but it’s a bit different playing against each other now. But we do that on practice all the time”.

Both Edwards and Bueckers dominated the court for the Huskies during their tenure. Edwards had a standout four-year career, which she finished with 1,861 points and 1,020 rebounds. This two-time Olympian was the sixth player in UConn history to reach that stat.

Bueckers was the all-time leading scorer in NCAA tournament history for UConn. She finished her collegiate basketball career as the fastest player in UConn history to reach 2,000 career points, achieving the milestone in just 102 games.  

But now, they are set to play against each other in the W League. Because Edward’s team Connecticut Sun, and Bueckers’ Dallas Wings are scheduled for a game on July 2.

However, for Edwards, “It’s not that different. It’s just different for you guys (interviewers), but it can be cool, different, but cool”. Because the WNBA is not the only league where they are rivals.

The Unrivaled League Rivalry

In the 3v3 league, Edwards is on the Lunar Owls’ roster while Bueckers plays for the Breeze. And they already played against each other on January 24.

The same day, Breeze’s Dominique Malonga threw down the second dunk of Unrivaled’s history. And Breeze sent the Owls home with a 75-68 defeat. Bueckers scored 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. While Edwards had 23 points and 16 rebounds.

As for their WNBA teams, Bueckers averaged 19.2 points and 5.4 assists for the Wings, while playing 33.3 minutes last season. And Edwards managed 5.4 points and 3.7 rebounds while playing less time, which was 14.8 minutes.

So, both of them come from one of the best universities in the nation and have flawless stats. While the playful banters remain on socials, things get aggressive over the 3v3 league. But the W league is a whole different thing.

So, what do you think the showdown will look like this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

And check out She Got Game for more updates on your favorite super-women.

Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Joyita Das