Who Are Aaliyah Edwards’ Parents? Deep Dive Into UConn Star’s Athletic Genes

Hailing from Kingston, Ontario, Aaliyah Edwards’ addition to UConn’s roster has proven to be phenomenal. Her 6-foot-3 length and athleticism mesmerized her teammates while she contused her way to grab rebounds and make shots at the rim. Although the team has been plagued by injuries throughout the season, Aaliyah’s reliability made it a bit easy for the Huskies to move up the ladder. But have you ever wondered how her athletic prowess became prominent?

Last season, when Paige Bueckers was recovering from her ACL injury, Aaliyah stepped up into the role and took charge on the court. This season, she has continued to shine as she played alongside Bueckers. In the regular season, she averaged 17.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. In the first and second rounds, along with the Sweet 16, she registered the scores in double digits. A lot of that credit goes to her parents.

Meet the people who created Aaliyah Edwards

UConn’s talented hooper is the daughter of Stanford and Jacqueline aka Jackie Edwards. As a mother, Jackie has played a crucial role in Aaliyah’s athletic journey. As a former college volleyball player at Humber College, Jackie always understood how things work in sports and what is required for the same.

On the other hand, Aaliyah’s father, Stanford too has played an instrumental role in shaping Aaliyah’s journey. At the time of Aaliyah’s college recruitment, Stanford personally held discussions with the coaches of several universities to find the best fit for her, before he came across UConn’s program.

Born in an athletic family, Aaliyah learned everything as a child, from track and field to soccer to tap dancing to ballet and eventually, she outgrew all these. Her mother Jackie was one of her first basketball coaches with a local club team called Kingston Impact. She actively carved and shaped Aaliyah’s skills and embodied her passion for her game.

As a mother, Jackie has always been extremely supportive of Aaliyah. When Aaliyah called her up to deliver the news that she made it to Team Canada, Jackie was in Kingston at the time. After getting the news, she experienced “complete joy and tremendous pride,” as she remembers. Moreover, Aaliyah’s friends and teammates too came over to Jackie and congratulated the family.

“The entire city was elated for her. Just the whole community came behind her and celebrated. Most of the people that make the team tend to come from the larger cities, so for her to have made it out of little Kingston also added an extra little bit of celebration for us,” said Jackie in an interview with Bardown in 2021.

READ MORE: Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards Lead ‘Tired’ UConn as Surging Comeback from Duke Shocks Fans

Thereafter, Aaliyah’s parents moved from Kingston to provide better access to training resources, infrastructure, competition, and exposure to opportunities like playing on the national team. Jackie would drive two and a half hours to Toronto for Aaliyah’s 90-minute practices. After that, she would head right back in the car and drive back home the same.

Time was changing for Aaliyah

When it came to playing basketball in college, Jackie personally engaged in the process with the recruiters and made sure that Aaliyah found the correct fit for her style of play. She was the first in Aaliyah’s defense when recruiters came calling. Jackie would answer the phone so that Aaliyah could focus on her game and also complete her high school studies. By doing so, Jackie preserved Aaliyah’s peace of mind. She would say, “Listen, she’s in high school, Where do you think she’s going to be? She’s in class!” when recruiters would call at around 9 in the morning.

Aaliyah was becoming popular as people started recognizing her. Aaliyah once had an intriguing encounter with a 5-year-old girl while she was getting ice cream with her mother Jackie. After the little girl spotted Aaliyah, she came over to her and asked, “I want to be just like you when I grow up!” Aaliyah agreed to take that photo with her and bought an ice cream for her as well.

Interestingly, that little girl’s father was the referee at Aaliyah’s games, and Aaliyah had a routine of saying hi to the kids while she would pass through the stands. That little girl was indeed touched by this small gesture which seemed to have impacted her in ways more than one.

Being a humble as-ever Husky, Aaliyah has won several accolades including the 2023 AP Third Team All-American, the 2023 USBWA Third Team All-American, the 2023 Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player and Most Improved Player, the 2023 All-Big East First Team, and the 2023 WBCA All-Region to name a few.