Kingston, Ont.'s Aaliyah Edwards drafted into WNBA
Kingston, Ont.'s Aaliyah Edwards is officially a professional basketball player.
After four years at the University of Connecticut, Edwards was selected sixth overall by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA draft Monday night.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
"Bring all the Canadians to Washington, let's go!" said Edwards, speaking to ESPN after being selected.
Edwards, 21, helped UConn to the NCAA women's Final Four earlier this month. The 6-foot-3 forward finished out her senior season with career highs of 17.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
"It's amazing, it's a dream come true and to actually walk your dream, it means a lot," she said.
She declared for the WNBA draft in March. She had one more year of college eligibility but said she was ready to move on to the next step of her career.
"Let's have one last dance," Edwards said on social media. "In addition to one last dance, I will be officially declaring for the 2024 Draft. I'm prepared, but more importantly I'm ready for the next chapter. Canadian Mamba out."
Edwards was also a member of the 2020 Canadian National Team at the Tokyo Games and she's expected to join Team Canada in Paris this summer.
"Mad love from Canada," she said. "I'm just really grateful to make an impact here in the States and to open the door to all of the little girls who wish they could be in my position and will be in my position in the future."
Edwards's selection marks the second consecutive year that a Canadian had her name called in the first round of the WNBA draft. Laeticia Amihere, of Mississauga, was selected by the Atlanta Dream eighth overall in last year's draft.
--With files from The Associated Press and CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Eating disorders among youth skyrocketed during pandemic and so did associated costs, report finds
The number of young people experiencing eating disorders surged during the height of the pandemic as the social and economic costs skyrocketed too, a new pan-Canadian report has found.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.