Aaliyah Edwards Playing Major Role Heading Into NCAA Tournament

[SVCBeercats]

Aaliyah has returned to her freshman basketball form. Hopefully she will improve more next season. But I am more than pleased with "freshman Aaliyah" to be back in form at the right time.
This article talks about Aaliyah drawing on her Olympic experience. I hope not, since she rode the pine with miniscule minutes during the Olympics. Plus until recently her play has been uninspired by her Olympic experience. Fortunately whatever doldrums had bothered her, have gone. I am looking forward to the real Aaliyah taking charge of the post with Liv and Dorka.

Aaliyah Edwards drawing on Olympic experience for UConn women’s basketball in postseason

The experience as the youngest member of Canada’s Olympic team is serving UConn’s...

www.ctinsider.com

A reminder of the real Aaliyah!!!
UConn Highlights: Aaliyah Edwards - Freshman Season (2020-2021)

 

[HuskyNan]

My husband said last night that if UConn and UCF get past their first round opponents, he wants to see UCF try to push Aaliyah, Liv and Nika around

 

[Geew1992]

My husband said last night that if UConn and UCF get past their first round opponents, he wants to see UCF try to push Aaliyah, Liv and Nika around

I think you'd have to include E in that statement.

 

[HuskyNan]

I think you'd have to include E in that statement.

I wasn’t talking fierceness as much as physical toughness. There was a play a few games ago where some kid on the other team tried to foul Aaliyah and ended up bouncing off her and landing on her butt. Aaliyah got called for the foul but it was funny as anything. People that try to push Aaliyah around can’t move her physically and usually end up paying the price.

 

[LoboDays]

Other than Paige playing like she did last year ( or close to it), AE playing like she has been recently is a very important key to going all the way. Changes everything on both ends of the court.

 

[freshler40]

Other than Paige playing like she did last year ( or close to it), AE playing like she has been recently is a very important key to going all the way. Changes everything on both ends of the court.

Yes, we have toughness and finesse blended from nine (9) + starters. There is a joy on their faces that hasn't been present in recent years. Love our chances for a deep run. Go Huskies!

 

[Kat]

AE has become my favorite on this team. A complete player who makes her teammates better. So strong inside on offense or defense. When this team is putting the defensive clamps on an opponent, she's in the middle of that.

 

[oldude]

There are so many things that Aaliyah has improved in her game since the start of the season that in some ways, she’s a completely different player. Yes she’s still is a force inside. But Aaliyah has become a much better passer. In addition you can not play off her and give her a midrange jump shot or she will make you pay.

Most importantly, Aaliyah has developed into a really solid defender, whether out on the court or in the paint. The job she did guarding BE POY Maddy Siegrist in the conference championship game was tremendous.

 

[cancontent]

There are so many things that Aaliyah has improved in her game since the start of the season that in some ways, she’s a completely different player. Yes she’s still is a force inside. But Aaliyah has become a much better passer. In addition you can not play off her and give her a midrange jump shot or she will make you pay.

Most importantly, Aaliyah has developed into a really solid defender, whether out on the court or in the paint. The job she did guarding BE POY Maddy Siegrist in the conference championship game was tremendous.

Teams can't pick and choose who to sag off on when she, Dorka or Olivia are on the court anymore. Have fun trying to figure out defensive match ups now.

 

[JoePgh]

There are so many things that Aaliyah has improved in her game since the start of the season that in some ways, she’s a completely different player. Yes she’s still is a force inside. But Aaliyah has become a much better passer. In addition you can not play off her and give her a midrange jump shot or she will make you pay.

Most importantly, Aaliyah has developed into a really solid defender, whether out on the court or in the paint. The job she did guarding BE POY Maddy Siegrist in the conference championship game was tremendous.

You are right. I think that the two most overlooked aspects of Aaliyah's recent play have been: (a) the accuracy of her jump shot from 15 feet out to 3-point range; and (b) her ability to defend on the perimeter as well as in the paint. Along with Olivia's newly accurate midrange jump shot, this is the biggest problem for teams like South Carolina who think that all they have to do to stop the UConn offense is to guard the 3-point line effectively, and/or that they stop the backdoor cuts simply by keeping their center planted under the basket.

What teams have bigs with the ability to defend Liv / Aaliyah out to 18 feet, or to defend Dorka out to the 3-point line? Nearly all of the top teams have been willing to concede those shots, figuring that the UConn bigs would miss and they could easily get the rebound. That strategy probably won't work any more.

Also regarding AE's recent play, have you noticed a reduction in her propensity to foul? She still fouls, but rarely commits the "dumb fouls" that plagued her last year and early this year. That has allowed her to play more minutes, and to be a bigger factor in more games.

 

[Alydar]

I wasn't as down on her early as most. Edwards spent last summer learning to play a much more physical game than wcbb. A lot of her early season foul trouble happened against smaller players who landed on their butts after what to Edwards was minor contact. She was also playing too fast. Both those issues have been addressed. She was described by all her coaches as a hard worker with ambitions beyond college.
Edwards is just another of many reasons this team is seriously under-rated.

 

[cancontent]

I wasn't as down on her early as most. Edwards spent last summer learning to play a much more physical game than wcbb. A lot of her early season foul trouble happened against smaller players who landed on their butts after what to Edwards was minor contact. She was also playing too fast. Both those issues have been addressed. She was described by all her coaches as a hard worker with ambitions beyond college.
Edwards is just another of many reasons this team is seriously under-rated.

They were underrated because they weren't playing to the level most expected initially, in my opinion. And for those who love trying to poke holes into the UConn mystique tried to use this as their "proof" they were overrated.

The tournament will be the team's opportunity to show what they can do. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Skeets]

Look, I'm not a Debbie downer, I'm more like a junior TonyC. The biggest fear I have is having some opponent, perhaps someone completely under the radar, going off and having an unstoppable career game. Edwards, and everyone else, need needs to ensure this doesn't happen.

My inspiration for this post? Just finished watching the men not being able to stop that Allen kid.

 

[TeamFirst!]

The effort is there. AE doesn't seem to catch a break on calls, compared to Anneesa Morrow for example. Morrow has bodies flying all over the place and gets off free but someone gets bumped by AE and it's a foul seemingly every time. Even when she doesn't initiate it.

 

[FormerCTrez]

My husband said last night that if UConn and UCF get past their first round opponents, he wants to see UCF try to push Aaliyah, Liv and Nika around

Similar thoughts here.