Edwards may see some time at the 3, but she will primarily play the 4 at UConn.
Agree completely, at least for the first year. That is not a critique of her versatility, handle, perimeter shot, or in any way her ability to play on the wing. In fact I think she could be a very good wing and is a probable high draft pick of the WNBA maybe as a wing.
But the here and now is that she is on this Uconn team, that most needs her at the PF and as a part time backup center. My assumptions heading into this season is we have three players we can have confidence will be quality players to play the 4 and 5. Liv of course is one and Aaliyah and Aubrey are the others. Both of the later two can play the wing but are more needed here.
Aubrey is undersized for the 4 but kind of like Gabby makes up for it with her athletic ability, and puts up stats on rebounds and blocks most 4's would love to have. She and Aaliyah between them can give us quality minutes at the 4, without having to go small-ball (Evina or Anna), unless we want to.
The problem is the backup 5. Liv also sometimes gets in foul trouble. If Piath is ready, fine no problem. But most think that is a much bigger question mark, and even if she becomes a rotation player it may take time. So the backup 5 out of necessity becomes a Griffin or Edwards proposition. So if Liv is out and Aaliyah and Griffin are both in the game at the same time isn't Aaliyah the obvious center?
She is significantly taller and much heavier. In fact only Aaliyah has the bulk to bang in the post or hold her position, neither Liv nor Aubrey can be expected to do that. So if those three split most of the "big" minutes, I suspect Liv will get all of hers at the 5, Aubrey almost all of hers at the 4, and Aaliyah will be split between the 4 and the 5.
Now lets look at it from the perspective of the wings. Can Aaliyah or Aubrey play effectively at the 3, sure with some questions about the perimeter shot perhaps, but why would we want them too? Williams, Westbrook and Makurat if healthy can handle those 40 minutes in a three player rotation similar to the bigs. Their styles and abilities are also more similar and interchangeable, and there is potentially one other quality option on the wing. That is Paige if she is in the game at the same time as Nika, which might not happen much but is possible. Regardless if Aaliyah or Aubrey is in the game with any two of the rotation wings, clearly they would be the best choice at the 4 vs. say Evina or Anna.
It is not a question of if Aaliyah or Aubrey can play the wing, but rather with what combination of rotational players would that be the most logical decision. Having said that each year is different, and injuries could change everything.
Next year we get another big to join Liv in Amari. Piath might be making a contribution by then as well. Maybe we don't need 4's to play backup 5, and Aaliyah and Aubrey can be used more on the wing to compliment their 4 minutes. If Westbrook leaves for the WNBA and we don't get you know who, maybe Aaliyah and Aubrey more on the wing will be a better option than a freshman (Saylor or Carolyn) or Mir.
Brady comes the year after when Liv departs, and of course if Betts came we might be more loaded up front than the wings. Uconn has a history of using players as they best suit the team, finding ways for Gabby to be an effective big, and Napheesa a 5 when she was a natural 4. Those cases were also somewhat out of necessity when our recruitment of bigs fell short. This year is similar to that, but in future years our options look more promising for bigs.
