Aaliyah Edwards Sidelined With Back Injury for at Least 2 Weeks

The Washington Mystics have to deal with another injury to a key player, Aaliyah Edwards, their 2024 first-round pick. She was diagnosed with a low back contusion on Thursday and is currently scheduled for reevaluation of her injury in two weeks. This news about her comes a day after the news of Georgia Amoore’s injury was released on Wednesday. Here’s what the Mystics are going to miss with Edwards if she misses the start of the season.

Aaliyah Edwards 2024 Season Numbers

Edwards averaged 7.6 points per game, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game as a rookie last season. Edwards had a limited role on that 2024 Mystics team as she played only 21.8 minutes a game in her rookie year. The expectation was for her to take a major leap this season with the retirement of Mystics legend Elena Delle Donne this offseason, as one of the leaders of this team.

Now, with this injury, the potential start is going to be a limited one, especially with a low back injury like this for a player who will be a post player and a potential finisher at the rim. Edwards has the potential for a major sophomore leap in 2025 still but the likelihood for the start to be electric just took a slight hit. 

Final Thoughts 

The Mystics are dealing with an injury bug at this very moment in time, and it’s unfortunate as they were going to be a fun team to watch at the start of the season with their youth movement and see how it develops. With both Amoore and Edwards out with injuries, the expectations are lower now at the start, if not worse than before the WNBA Draft. 

Look for the Mystics to be a better team in 2026 rather than 2025, but Edwards should still show improvement starting midway through 2025, as it will take a little bit for her to come back from her lower back contusion.