Washington Mystics trying to find trade for former WNBA first-round pick

The WNBA said, “Canada Day? Sure, let’s do it!”

If you’re unaware, July 1 is “Canada Day,” aka the Canadian version of the United States’ “Independence Day,” which makes it incredibly ironic that it also happens to be the day that one of the best Canadian prospects in the WNBA appears to be up for a trade.

Kendra Andrews and Alexa Philippou of ESPN reported that the Mystics are actively taking calls about Aaliyah Edwards from “multiple teams” interested in trading for the former first-round pick:

The Washington Mystics selected Aaliyah Edwards No. 6 overall in 2024, after she played four years at UConn. Edwards, who was raised in Kingston, Ontario and is a two-time Olympian for the Canadian National team, is an incredibly solid forward whose footwork, speed, and shooting ability make her a great prospect in the WNBA.

When the Mystics drafted Edwards last year, the plan was to have her be a part of the Mystics’ future core. She has the talent and ability to be a solid WNBA player for years to come, and she showed great promise for a Mystics team that ended the 2024 season with a 14-26 record. She spent her offseason playing in the Unrivaled league, where she made headlines for making it to the final round of the 1-on-1 tournament, shutting out Breanna Stewart and beating many great players on her way there. In the end, she lost 2 games to 1 to Napheessa Collier in the final round, still taking home $50,000 in prize money for her efforts.

Coming into the 2025 season, Edwards was expected to continue to develop on the Mystics’ roster. The team ended up with the No. 3, No. 4 and No. 6 picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft due to trades, picking up three young prospects in Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, and Georgia Amoore. Still, Edwards was expected to be a big part of the Mystics’ system. When she was injured in training camp and had to miss the first few weeks of the regular season while her back healed, Kiki Iriafen was slotted into the starting lineup. From there, Iriafen bloomed, looking like a complete natural on the court. It wasn’t that Edwards had suddenly gotten bad or anything, but the Mystics did not expect Iriafen to be THAT ready for the WNBA.

The decision to trade Edwards isn’t necessarily a bad one. With the expansion draft looming, the Mystics don’t have the space to protect all of the assets they’ve collected in recent years. If they risk leaving Edwards open, she would almost certainly be snatched up by her home team, the Toronto Tempo. Washington wants to get something back for the player they drafted No. 6 overall before she is taken from them for nothing in return, and on the flip side, Edwards likely has a great market to be traded. It’s not that they don’t like her, it’s that they don’t have the minutes to give her the time she needs on the court due to how well Iriafen is already playing.

Several teams could use Edwards right away to bolster their frontcourt. The former UConn Husky brings a ton of NCAA and international experience to her game, can handle physicality, has excellent footwork, and is working on her outside shooting. She can defend well without racking up fouls, and has length and size to hold her ground.

It would be shocking to see her be traded for anything less than a future first-round pick, but teams could also entice Washington with the rights to players who could join them in future years, multiple second-round picks, or fringe bench players. They would likely want to see her go to a team that will use her right away.

For Edwards, there is still the possibility of going to the Tempo next year, but if a team is trading for her now, they will likely try and protect her in the expansion draft. While there is a possibility she could ask to be unprotected, she likely just wants to play and is ready to contribute to whatever team she is on. As a young player, there is lots of time for her to end up playing for the Toronto Tempo in her career — maybe more so when they are more competitive for a title in future years.

If I am a WNBA general manager lacking frontcourt depth, I am picking up the phone and calling Washington. Aaliyah Edwards is a great prospect with future All-Star potential who is just beginning to unlock a solid, well-rounded game. She has an incredibly bright future wherever she ends up.