Aaliyah Edwards, a player who has called Connecticut home for the majority of her adult life, is saying her final goodbyes to the Nutmeg State tonight. She is getting ready for the Sun’s regular season finale against Toronto, knowing full well the franchise is heading to Houston for the 2027 campaign.
Six Years of Home in the Nutmeg State
Edwards’ connection to Connecticut runs deep. She spent four seasons absolutely dominating for the UConn women’s basketball program and then returned last year after a mid-season trade brought her back to the WNBA’s Sun. Seriously, six years of memories in that state. You can feel it in the open letter she dropped on the team’s website today, where she poured out her gratitude to the local women’s basketball fan base. She started it with, “Dear Connecticut, it’s hard to say goodbye to a place that has felt like home in more than one chapter of my life.” Talk about a gut punch.
From Storrs to the Pros: A Journey Etched in Connecticut
This was not just some pit stop for Edwards. She came to Connecticut as a young girl from Kingston, Ontario, with huge dreams, committing to Geno Auriemma in October 2019. Why? She was chasing that competitive atmosphere, that desire to be surrounded by greatness. And she found it. She immediately made an impact as a freshman at Storrs, finishing fourth on the team with 10.7 points per game. By her senior year, she was a Wooden first-team All-American, dropping 17.6 points a night and almost averaging a double-double. That college career ended controversially with a moving screen call against Iowa in the 2024 Final Four, which still stings for anyone who saw it. After being drafted No. 6 overall by the Washington Mystics and starting there, a rookie named Kiki Iriafen supplanted her in 2025, which led to her trade back to the Sun in August 2025. This year, for a rebuilding Sun squad, Edwards has been averaging 21 minutes a game and notched a career-high 10.9 points.
It is tough to see a player like Edwards, who gave so much to a community, have to say goodbye not just to a team, but to a *home*. She summed it up perfectly in her letter: “Thank you for the memories, the lessons, the people, and the moments I’ll carry with me long after this chapter ends… Connecticut is one of those places for me.” Tonight’s game against Toronto is not just a regular season ender, it is the last time Edwards and the Sun will play for Connecticut fans before that move to Houston. It is truly the end of an era.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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