Edwards’ Adidas Deal Is Complicated
The Story: Senior Aaliyah Edwards signed an NIL deal with Adidas that will allow her to profit from her success on the court — but because she’s on a student visa, Edwards is prohibited from participating in any active endorsements in the United States and can only do so in her native Canada.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Because Edwards is not American, she can’t fully capitalize on the recent changes that allow college players to earn money from their talents and fame.
• Despite leading the No. 10 Huskies with 9.5 rebounds and adding 18.2 points per game, Edwards’ NIL earning potential pales in comparison to that of Paige Bueckers, who has landed NIL deals worth more than half a million dollars. It highlighting the inequities facing international student-athletes under current NIL rules.
• Edwards’ and other international players’ NIL restrictions have sparked calls for reform, including legislation introduced by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Pete Ricketts (R-OR) to enable international student-athletes to pursue NIL opportunities.
• Edwards was reluctant to even talk about the Adidas deal with reporters yesterday because of concerns it would jeopardize her via. She said NIL income will factor into her decision about whether to go pro or return to UConn next season, but she said the Huskies’ on-court goals are still her priority.
• “I feel like some days I’m like, ‘I want to do this,’” Edwards said. “Some days, ‘I want to do that.’ But as I said, multiple times before, I just want to stay present, stay in the moment. We can leave that decision for after the season and we’ll see how it goes.”
MUHL NEARS DECISION: While Edwards has yet to say whether she’ll join Bueckers and Aubrey Griffin in returning to UConn for one more year, Nika Muhl said she thinks her mind is finally made up.
• Muhl said during Senior Night that she was still undecided and wanted to focus on the rest of the season. But with the Huskies (24-5, 16-0 Big East) playing their final home game of the regular season tonight against Villanova (17-10, 10-6 Big East), Muhl’s clock is ticking.
• “I’m actually really close to making that decision,” Mühl said. “I just feel like I’m trying to look for the right time to announce everything. So, that’s all I’m gonna say.”
ABOUT VILLANOVA: The Wildcats lost 81-60 at home to UConn on Jan. 31 and will be looking for some semblance of revenge tonight (7 p.m., SNY).
• Villanova, which lost 79-69 at Creighton on Saturday, has two of the Big East’s best players. Junior guard Lucy Olsen leads the conference with 23.6 points per game, while junior forward Christina Dalce has a conference-high 10.1 rebounds per game.
— Zac Boyer
Morning Reads
• It took nearly an entire year, but Adama Sanogo finally received his NCAA championship ring last night before the Bulls played the Pistons — and none other than Andre Drummond presented it to him in a pregame ceremony.
• Former UConn standout Matt Barnes, who spent last season with the Marlins, has signed a minor-league deal with the Nationals.
• The women’s lacrosse team (0-3) will look to win its first game this afternoon when it heads to New Hampshire.
Top photo: Aaliyah Edwards shoots in the Huskies’ game against Dayton. (Courtesy of UConn athletics)
