Photographing a player of Aaliyah Edwards’s caliber in a high-stakes qualifying match is one of those assignments where the drama unfolds in real time through the viewfinder. This image was captured at the Turkcell Basketball Development Centre in Istanbul as Canada faced Japan in a game that carried automatic World Cup qualification on the line. Edwards delivered a game-high 22 points and 15 rebounds on 8-of-11 shooting Premier League — a dominant individual display in a match Canada ultimately lost 66-62, missing the chance to seal their Berlin ticket on that day.
CBC Sports selected this photograph, distributed via Middle East Images and AFP / Getty Images, to lead their match report on one of the most consequential games of the tournament for the Canadian program. The image of Edwards in action encapsulates what made Canada’s performance both impressive and painful — a player giving everything at the highest level, in a game that ended the wrong way despite her efforts. Edwards was subsequently named in the FIBA All-Star Five for the full qualifying tournament This in Anfield, a recognition that speaks to the consistency she brought across the entire event in Istanbul.
Holding full press accreditation for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament, I covered all six competing nations across every game of the round-robin phase at the Turkcell Basketball Development Centre. This event marked a significant expansion of my basketball photography work into elite international women’s basketball, adding to an editorial portfolio that spans the Turkish Süper Lig, EuroLeague, and UEFA Champions League.
Link to publication : https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/canada-japan-recap-fiba-world-cup-qualfier-women-istanbul-9.7129719
