The second season of the Unrivaled 3×3 women’s basketball league hit an immediate snag after Lunar Owls star Aaliyah Edwards suffered a terrifying upper-body injury
21:48 ET, 05 Jan 2026Updated 22:32 ET, 05 Jan 2026
Aaliyah Edwards suffered an injury scare during Monday’s Unrivaled season opener(Image: Unrivaled/TNT)
The second season of the Unrivaled 3×3 women’s basketball league ground to an abrupt halt after Aaliyah Edwards suffered an injury scare.
With just over one minute remaining in the third quarter of Monday’s matchup between the Lunar Owls and Rose, Edwards — who finished as the runner-up in the inaugural Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament last February — attempted a breakaway layup upon reeling in a pass from teammate Marina Mabrey.
Once Edwards went up with the ball, she was blocked from behind by Shakira Austin and sent crashing to the hardwood. The former UConn forward’s head proceeded to collide with the padded base of the hoop as the 25-year-old defender landed directly on the back of her leg.
READ MORE: Ravens kicker Tyler Loop left with no doubt what John Harbaugh thinks of himREAD MORE: Troy Aikman suffers unfortunate lewd slip-up ESPN fails to bleep during Seahawks-49ers
While Edwards grimaced in pain on the ground, several players from the Rose pushed a nearby camera out of the way in order to give her privacy. Several others held up towels around the 23-year-old as medical staff tended to her.
As a slow-motion replay of the incident unfolded, analyst Lisa Leslie explained: “That was tough right there because Aaliyah Edwards landed very awkwardly. And again, no malice intended but it was the landing.
“And then the leg spins the wrong way. That’s one of those yoga poses. You see somebody in the pose that I don’t think you’re supposed to be in, that’s tough.
“This is always the toughest part of the game. It’s just, you know, injuries and the possibilities of what could go wrong.”
Aaliyah Edwards was ruled out for the remainder of the game with an upper-body injury(Image: Unrivaled/TNT)
Edwards was eventually able to walk off the court under her own power and showered in cheers by fans gathered at the Sephora Arena before being ruled out for the remainder of Monday’s contest with an upper-body injury.
Prior to her early exit, she recorded 23 points, 12 rebounds and one steal — all team-highs — on 10-of-19 shooting from the field.
Taking to social media, droves of viewers sent Edwards kind words and wished her a speedy recovery. “Happy to see Aaliyah Edwards getting up and walking under her own power hope she’ll be okay,” one X user wrote.
Another added: “They better put Aaliyah Edwards on concussion protocol right now.”
READ MORE: Unrivaled value revealed ahead of second season after ‘not going to stop’ promiseREAD MORE: Napheesa Collier needs double surgery, sidelined for months, Unrivaled hammer blow
A third chimed in, “I’m amazed & very glad Aaliyah Edwards was able to get up and look *ok* after that fall cuz that was a scary one.”
Earlier in the week, Edwards expressed her excitement to once again play in Unrivaled, where she burst onto the national scene last season. “She’s talked to me in practice a few days ago … about how excited she is,” Leslie explained.
“Not that she is hurt but the opportunity that she’ll have to fill these plays, playing in the winter. So we hope that she can recover from whatever her injury is right now and still have the opportunity to play.”