TORONTO, Ont. (May 14, 2024) - As the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) heads into its 28th regular season, four Canadian players are set to appear on four different teams.

Aaliyah Edwards, Bridget Carleton, Kia Nurse, and Laeticia Amihere are all on rosters for the 2024 WNBA season, which begins tonight with four games on the slate.

The night's first matchup between the New York Liberty and the Washington Mystics begins at 7 p.m. ET. The Mystics selected Kingston native Aaliyah Edwards sixth overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft, making her the latest Canadian to enter the league.

Edwards spent four seasons with the UConn Huskies, bringing the program to the Final Four in her senior season. She averaged a near double-double (17.6 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game). Edwards has a long history with Canada Basketball, becoming a first-time Olympian with the Senior Women’s National Team for the 2020 Tokyo Games. She has also participated in numerous tournaments at both the youth and senior levels.

Bridget Carleton and the Minnesota Lynx will face the fairly new-look Seattle Storm, who acquired Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike in the offseason to cap off the opening night. Carleton is entering her sixth season with the Lynx after signing a two-year extension.

Carleton had a busy but impressive offseason overseas. She finished another season with Uni Gyor, putting up big numbers, including a 41-point game, which earned her Player of the Week honours. Carleton also travelled with the Senior Women’s National Team to Sopron, Hungary, where her offence helped lift Canada to a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

After appearing in the second-ever WNBA Canada Game, Kia Nurse is set to make her regular season with the LA Sparks this week. After missing out on Olympic Qualifying play due to injury in February, Nurse was excited to return to a basketball court in Edmonton. Nurse is entering her seventh season in the WNBA and will provide an offensive spark for Los Angeles.

In Atlanta, second-year player Laeticia Amihere will have a chance to expand her role with the Dream. After a successful college career with the South Carolina Gamecocks, which won a national championship in 2022, Amihere went eighth overall in the 2023 WNBA Draft.

During the offseason, Amihere travelled with the Canadian Senior Women’s National Team to Colombia and Hungary for the Olympic Pre-Qualifying and Qualifying Tournaments. She also made her debut with Athletes Unlimited during the winter, remaining a strong presence in the post.

Amihere also held several events with her nonprofit organization, Back to the Motherland, which included basketball camps in Ghana and a fashion show fundraiser in Toronto. Amihere enters her second season in the WNBA with a refreshed and motivated mindset.

Fans north of the border can follow the action all season long by subscribing to WNBA League Pass, available in Canada for USD 34.99 per year. Select games throughout the season will also be broadcast on Sportsnet's national TV and streaming platforms. 

Canadians in the WNBA ahead of the 2024 season:

- Aaliyah Edwards (Kingston, Ont.) - Washington Mystics,

- Bridget Carleton (Chatham, Ont.) - Minnesota Lynx

- Kia Nurse (Hamilton, Ont. ) - LA Sparks,

- Laeticia Amihere (Mississauga, Ont.) - Atlanta Dream