On the day she was named to the ballot for the NCAA women's basketball player of the year award, UConn's Aaliyah Edwards was ruled doubtful for Monday's Big East final by her coach after suffering a broken nose.
The native of Kingston, Ont., sat out Sunday's 58-29 win over Marquette after she was struck in the nose by an elbow while fighting for a rebound a day earlier in a victory over Providence.
After Sunday's win, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said Edwards' nose is "way, way broken," per Maggie Vanoni of Hearst Connecticut.
Auriemma said he doubted Edwards would play Monday against Creighton or Georgetown, but he added that she is expected to be ready for the NCAA tournament in less than two weeks. UConn is ranked ninth in the country.
Edwards also suffered a broken nose at the start of the 2022-23 season and wore a protective mask for most of the campaign.
On Sunday, Edwards was one of 15 players put on the ballot for the John R. Wooden Award, alongside fellow UConn star Paige Bueckers.
Iowa record-breaker Caitlin Clark is the heavy favourite to win.
The six-foot-three Edwards, who is projected as a first-round pick in this year's WNBA Draft if she does not return for one more season at UConn, is averaging 17.8 points on 59.3 per-cent shooting to go along with 9.3 rebounds this season.
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