Although Aaliyah Edwards has left a big hole in the UConn Huskies, it looks like they’ve got just the right fit. Well, it’s the 6’5″ powerhouse, Jana El Alfy, who couldn’t play last year. All the way from Egypt, she is set to rock the courts, and she might also go down in history as the first Arabic-speaking woman ever to grace the WNBA. Right before the season begins, she receives the fanfare of her very own teammates.

It all started with a picture she posted in her UConn jersey on Instagram with the caption, “Year ١…finally.” The comments were filled with everyone hyping her up for the season ahead. Paige Bueckers started the string with “Let’s go El Alfy🤩.” Then Audrey Griffin chimed in with a proud crown, “🇪🇬👑,” while KK Arnold cracked us all up with “SHES HEADED TO THE PYRAMID 🤭.” 

At the same time, Caroline Ducharme brought her humor with, “media day face neva declines,” and Ice Brady doubled down on the excitement, saying, “oh yea i’m lit🤩.” Ashlynn Shade got playful with “JANA BO BANA!!🤗,” and Kaitlyn Chen joked, “we had so many better captions. But yes I still love this.” Even Morgan Cheli was feeling it with “Janaaaa 😍😍,” 

That’s what makes this crew special. The Huskies have always had a tight-knit culture, so it was definitely heartwarming but not surprising. “She’s a dawg,” Bueckers said once. The two athletes are even roommates, so the support goes way beyond practice, court, and gym.

Meanwhile, their coach Geno Auriemma heaped praise on her, saying, “The more we see some of the things she does, the more we miss her because we realize what she could bring to our team.” For now, UConn hopes she takes the reins of the frontcourt after Edward’s transition to the WNBA.

Even Aaliyah herself joined the comment section, penning, “Rep the internationals🇪🇬🇨🇦🇭🇷🇵🇹🫡.” Finally, alumni Nika Muhl added, “Finally… I’ve been waiting.” Can she step into her senior’s shoes? 

Jana El Alfy to fill the void left by Edward in the frontcourt

The Egyptian athlete, who joined the team last year but had to miss the games due to an Achilles injury, is a center who can dominate both in the paint and on the perimeter. From height advantage, scoring range, and relentless spirit to high IQ, the resemblance between Edwards and the new star is undeniable.

With her 6’5” height and an unofficial wingspan of 6’8”, she brings the physical presence the Huskies have been missing. In fact, her game history speaks for itself. She’s been dominating tournaments, from the U16 African Championships to the FIBA U19 World Cup, where she topped the charts.

The best part is she is no stranger to the three-point line, which has not been seen much since Napheesa Collier moved on. Auriemma has even mentioned on his radio show that Jana loves to play and can play anywhere at any time. At times, the team has to hold her back.

“She loves the contact… she loves playing like that,” he shared. There’s no doubt she is a dream player for every coach. As Huskies HC puts it, “Every coach that came back said she was the best player there.” Also, it’s safe to say that if she had grown up in North America, she’d have been ranked as the top recruit in her class. 

“I can’t wait for people to see her play. She just has a real unique personality that I think people are going to really fall in love with.” And we totally feel the same. Let’s see how her game unfolds, and she becomes the next big thing in the WNBA.