Canadian Connections
Former UConn star Kia Nurse excited by Edwards’ homecoming, growth
When former UConn women’s basketball standout Kia Nurse looked around Mattamy Athletic Center in Toronto, she saw her UConn family along with her Canadian family in the stands cheering her on.
Her immediate family and close friends were there, of course, all her aunts and uncles, her high school friends and teammates. But most important, both sets of her grandparents were there watching the Huskies face Duquesne for Nurse’s senior homecoming game in December 2017.
It was the first time any of her grandparents saw her play in college live and in person.
“Looking around into the crowd and pretty much being able to pick out somebody that I either knew personally or was from Hamilton (Ontario), because everybody kind of knows everyone in Hamilton, that was special,” Nurse told CT Insider earlier this month. “UConn understanding how important family was to me and understanding how important continuing to grow the game in Canada was to me, I thought that was such an incredible thing that they did to really schedule that and make it happen.”
Six years later, UConn is returning to Toronto. This time to honor its current Canadian Aaliyah Edwards by playing
Toronto Metropolitan University next Wednesday, Dec. 20, at Mattamy at 6 p.m. (FS2)
Not only will Edwards likely receive the same reception as Nurse did, but the sold-out game will be another push to grow women’s basketball in Canada. And this time, Nurse will be there as a fan, watching her home country celebrate another women’s basketball player further impacting the sport.
“It’s so exciting. I’m so happy for Aaliyah and for the success that she’s had so far at UConn, and I know that she’ll continue to have throughout this season,” Nurse said. “Knowing her at a young age, in terms of like when we started to play together on the national team, she’s just an absolute sponge and such a kind
hearted person and somebody who works their tail off to achieve great things.
“And so, knowing how important it is to continue to grow the game here for her as well and being a role model for the next generation of Canadian athletes, especially Canadian women; I think it’s massive to be able to come and do it here and spotlight Aaliyah and do it against the Canadian team as well. I think that adds a special touch to it, too.”
Nurse, who played for UConn from 2014 to 2018 and won two national championships, first met Edwards during a Team Canada basketball event when Edwards was still in high school and uncommitted to a college. Edwards, from Kingston, Ont., reached out to Nurse a handful of times after they met, asking about her experience playing for UConn and head coach Geno Auriemma.
Nurse, who’s from Hamilton, Ont. — about 3 hours southwest of Kingston — said she was excited once Edwards did commit to UConn and begin her Husky career. Only four Canadians have ever played for UConn women’s basketball: Nurse, Edwards, Christine Rigby (1999-2001) and Kelly Schumacher (1997-2001).
“I think I gave her the best advice I could in the sense of like, there’s a realism to UConn and an understanding that you can go there and it’s going to be a great experience for you as a student, it’s going to be a great experience for you as an athlete, but it’s not going to be easy,” Nurse said. “And I think that’s something that everybody, you know, that went to UConn will say if somebody asked them.
“Like, it isn’t easy. I’m not going to sugarcoat that for you. But what you get out of it being hard for four years and the way that you can overcome adversity and the obstacles that are thrown at you, it’s like once you get into that professional realm it’s hard for anything to really shake you because you’ve been through it, and in such an incredible manner that it allows you to be even more a step ahead once you hit that professional side.”
Edwards and Nurse have stayed in touch throughout the years, even sharing the court for Canada during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (Edwards was the youngest player on the roster).
Nurse made sure to always tune into Edwards and UConn during the college basketball season, even sometimes broadcasting the games for TSN.
Edwards had a breakout junior season last year, earning her Third Team All-American honors. The 6foot-3 forward led UConn with 16.6 points per game and averaged a career-high 9.0 rebounds per game. Edwards was the Huskies’ most consistent player throughout all 37 games as the team again dealt with injuries. She was named the Big East Most Improved Player and the Most Outstanding Player of the Big East Tournament.
“I think for me, the big thing was she was getting more confident and understanding that there is a moment when you’re at school that some point your role starts to get a little bit bigger and then it gets a little bigger than it gets like kind of massive and that’s kind of the natural progression as you move towards upperclassmen,” Nurse said. “And so, I think this was a really big step forward for her and the confidence that she was playing with; she’s always going to bring a level of physicality to the game. I thought that was something that last year the Huskies really needed.
“And she brought that every single game. She’s also going to be the person that dives on a loose ball, she’s going to be the person that steps in for a charge and brings the energy in that sense. … She was pretty much unstoppable the moment she got the ball in the post.
And so that was a great thing to watch and to see because it was just so beautiful to see her confidence growing.”
This preseason, Edwards was named to the Preseason All-Big East Team, the Katrina McClain Award watch list, the Wade Trophy watch list and selected as AP Preseason All-American Honorable Mention.
And with UConn now going through its third-straight season plagued by injuries, Edwards has again stepped as the team’s most dependable big.
“My heart breaks anytime I see someone gets hurt and especially long-term injuries, just understanding and kind of knowing what those athletes are gonna face.” said Nurse, who suffered an ACL injury during the 2021 WNBA Playoffs. “I think what’s great about UConn is that you’re going to have every resource available to you and great facilities … But getting hit with this injury bug, which is absolutely, it’s been actually really wild. It’s like, ‘Come on, we got to catch a break at some point.’ But (I’m) proud of how all of the players who have had to step up into different roles in different positions have been able to do that.”
Edwards technically has one year left of eligibility (because of the pandemic) after this current season if she chooses to return for a fifth year. Currently, she’s projected to be one of the top five picks of the 2024 WNBA Draft if she chooses to declare and begin her professional career.
For Nurse, who was taken No. 10 overall by New York in the 2018 WNBA Draft, knowing that Edwards has the opportunity to further grow Canada’s presence in the league makes her that much more excited to continue following her journey.
“I think she does a great job of allowing young athletes to kind of see her in a light where they can then find themselves, see a piece of themselves, right? Find a resemblance and feel like, ‘I can also be Aaliyah Edwards one day,’” Nurse said. “And I think that’s a massive part of it, especially for us here in Canada, where we tend to lack a little bit of representation in women’s sports. Obviously, it exists around the world, but sometimes it’s really hard to turn on a women’s basketball game here in Canada. And I think she does a great job of being that role model off the court, as well as who she is on the court.”