Laila Edwards
| Laila Edwards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Edwards playing for the Wisconsin Badgers in 2024 | |||
| Born |
January 25, 2004 Cleveland Heights, Ohio, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NCAA team | University of Wisconsin | ||
| National team | United States | ||
| Playing career | 2022–present | ||
Laila Edwards (born January 25, 2004) is an American college ice hockey player for the University of Wisconsin and a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She has won two World Championship medals, including gold at the 2025 World Championship and silver at the 2024 World Championship, where she was named Tournament MVP at age 20, becoming the youngest player to receive the honor. Edwards made history in 2023 as the first Black woman to play for the U.S. women's senior national team. She is also the first Black woman to score a goal for Team USA at the 2024 World Championships and at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where she also became the first Black woman on a USA team to receive a gold medal in hockey.
At the collegiate level, Edwards has won three NCAA national championships with Wisconsin (2023, 2025, 2026). She was a Patty Kazmaier Award top-three finalist in 2025 and led the nation with 35 goals during her junior season. Edwards won the Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year Award in 2024.
Early life
Born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio to Charone Gray-Edwards and Robert Edwards,[1][2] Laila was raised in Cleveland Heights with her siblings: older brother Robert (Bobby), older sister Chayla, younger brother Colson, and sister Britney Gray.[3][4]
Edwards began figure skating at age three before switching to ice hockey at age four or five.[1] Her father enrolled her and three of her siblings in the Cleveland Heights Youth Hockey Program.[1][5] By age eight, she was traveling to out-of-state tournaments and played AAA hockey with boys' teams, including the Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks and Cleveland Barons.[6][4] She also participated in the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite Girls hockey program.[4]
Edwards left Cleveland Heights at age 13 to attend Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, New York, for its elite girls' hockey program.[7] During the 2021–22 season, she recorded 38 goals and 59 assists for the under-19 team at Bishop Kearney. She finished her career at Bishop Kearney with 147 goals and 266 assists in 287 games from 2018 to 2022.[8] She skipped her high school graduation ceremony to compete at the 2022 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship.[9]
Playing career
Edwards began her collegiate career for Wisconsin during the 2022–23 season. During her freshman year, she recorded 13 goals and 14 assists in 41 games. Following the season, she was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team. During the 2023 NCAA Division I women's ice hockey tournament, she recorded four goals and one assist to help Wisconsin win their seventh national championship. She was subsequently named to the NCAA All-Tournament team.[10]
During the 2023–24 season, in her sophomore year, she recorded 21 goals and 35 assists in 41 games.[11] Following the season, she was named to the All-WCHA Third Team.[12] On May 29, 2024, she was named the recipient of the USA Hockey Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year Award.[13]
On September 18, 2024, she was named an alternate captain for the 2024–25 season.[14] In her junior year, she recorded 35 goals and 36 assists in 41 games. Her 35 goals led the nation and were the most by a Badgers player since Brianna Decker recorded 37 goals during the 2011–12 season.[15] Following the season she was named to the All-WCHA First Team and a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award.[16] During the semifinals of the 2025 NCAA Division I women's ice hockey tournament, she recorded a hat-trick to help Wisconsin advance to the national championship game for the third consecutive season.[17][18]
International play
Junior
Edwards represented the United States at the 2022 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship where she was an alternate captain. She led the team in scoring, with four goals and four assists in five games and won a silver medal.[19] Following the tournament she was named the tournament's most valuable player, best forward and named to the All-Tournament team.[20]
Senior
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Laila Edwards: The first Black woman to play for the U.S. national hockey team, TSN |
In November 2023, Edwards was named to the United States women's national ice hockey team for the November Rivalry Series against Canada.[21][22] She was the first Black woman to play for the U.S. women's senior national team.[23][24]
World Championships
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Laila Edwards Hat Trick Lifts Team USA over Finland in 2024 Women's Worlds Semifinal, USA Hockey |
On March 31, 2024, Edwards was named to the United States roster for the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship and was the first Black woman to play for the United States at the IIHF World Women's Championship.[25][26][27] During a preliminary round game against Czechia on April 5, 2024, Edwards became the first black woman to score a goal for team USA at the IIHF World Women's Championship.[27] During the semifinals against Finland, Edwards recorded a hat-trick to help lead the United States to the gold medal game against Canada.[28][29] She finished the tournament with six goals and two assists in seven games and won a silver medal. She was subsequently named the Tournament MVP and named to the All-Star team, becoming the youngest player to be named MVP at an IIHF World Women's Championship.[30][31]
On March 5, 2025, Edwards was named to the United States roster for the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship.[32] After being told she would have a better chance at staying on the roster at defense than forward, she switched positions. During the tournament, she recorded one goal and three assists in seven games and won a gold medal.[33]
Olympics
On January 2, 2026, Edwards was named to Team USA's roster to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics.[34] She was the first Black woman to play hockey for team USA at the Olympics.[35] During the team's last group stage game against Canada, Edwards scored the fifth goal lifting the U.S. to a 5–0 shutout against their rivals.[36] During the quarterfinal game, Edwards registered a goal and an assist as the U.S. eliminated host nation Italy in a 6–0 win.[37] It marked the first time that the U.S. and Italy played each other at the Olympics or any other international competition.[38] She finished the tournament with two goals and six assists in seven games and won a gold medal. During the gold medal game against Canada she assisted on the game-tying goal by Hilary Knight at the end of the third period to force overtime.[39] She became the first Black American woman to win Olympic gold in ice hockey.[40] Following the tournament she was named to the media all-star team.[41]
Personal life
Her sister Chayla also played ice hockey for Wisconsin.[8]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2022–23 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 41 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 41 | 21 | 35 | 56 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 41 | 35 | 36 | 71 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NCAA totals | 123 | 69 | 85 | 154 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | United States | U18 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 2024 | United States | WC | 7 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2025 | United States | WC | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2026 | United States | OG | 7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | ||
| Junior totals | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | ||||
| Senior totals | 21 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 2 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Honors | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| WCHA All-Rookie Team | 2023 | [42] |
| NCAA All-Tournament Team | 2023 | [43] |
| All-WCHA Third Team | 2024 | [44] |
| All-WCHA First Team | 2025 | [45] |
| NCAA All-Tournament Team | 2025 | [46] |
| All-WCHA Second Team | 2026 | [47] |
| NCAA All-Tournament Team | 2026 | [48] |
| International | ||
| IIHF World Women's U18 Championship Best Forward | 2022 | [20] |
| IIHF World Women's U18 Championship Most Valuable Player | 2022 | |
| IIHF World Women's U18 Championship Media All-Star Team | 2022 | |
| IIHF World Women's Championship Most Valuable Player | 2024 | [30] |
| IIHF World Women's Championship Media All-Star Team | 2024 | |
| Winter Olympics Media All-Star Team | 2026 | [41] |
| USA Hockey | ||
| Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year Award | 2024 | [13] |
References
- ^ a b c "Laila Edwards". Team USA. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ^ "Laila Edwards Bio: Career timeline, Olympic medals, Road to 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics". NBC Olympics. December 11, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ^ "Laila Edwards on her Cleveland Heights roots, figure skating start, rise to Team USA hockey: New extended interview". WKYC. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ^ a b c "Edwards sisters hope to play hockey internationally". The Heights Observer. February 23, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ^ "Forward Laila Edwards makes history with Team USA women's hockey". Andscape. November 27, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ^ "USA Hockey's Laila Edwards inspires on and off the ice". WKYC. November 27, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ^ "Forging Firsts: Laila Edwards". uwbadgers.com. January 30, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "Laila Edwards". uwbadgers.com. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Haase, Nicole (November 11, 2023). "Laila Edwards Embracing Opportunity To Be A Role Model". USA Hockey. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Stewart, Mark (March 20, 2023). "Wisconsin women's hockey blanks Ohio State to win its 7th national title". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Savin, Dani (March 5, 2024). "Skating to success: Laila Edwards shines on women's hockey team". The Badger Herald. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Kennedy, Ian (February 29, 2024). "USA National Team Stars Highlight WCHA All-Star Teams". The Hockey News. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Ian (May 29, 2024). "Laila Edwards Named USA Hockey's Women's Player of the Year". The Hockey News. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Harvey, O'Brien named captains for Badgers". uwbadgers.com. September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ "Sensational Simms: Junior leads comeback to lift UW to eighth NCAA title". uwbadgers.com. March 23, 2025. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
- ^ "Edwards, Harvey, O'Brien Named 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top-Three Finalists". pattykaz.com. March 12, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ "Championship bound: Badgers take down Golden Gophers 6-2". uwbadgers.com. March 21, 2025. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
- ^ Kallmann, Dave (March 22, 2025). "Wisconsin knocks off Minnesota again, sets up women's hockey championship rematch with Ohio State". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Salvian, Hailey (November 11, 2023). "Meet Laila Edwards, the teenage phenom set to make history with Team USA". The Athletic. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Brown, Erin (June 14, 2022). "Edwards named MVP". IIHF.com. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Douglas, William (November 6, 2023). "Color of Hockey: Edwards 1st Black player for U.S. women's national team". NHL.com. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Gerstner, Joanne C. (November 7, 2023). "Team USA's Laila Edwards Is Set For A Historic Debut In The Women's Hockey Rivalry Series". teamusa.com. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Stewart, Mark (November 17, 2023). "Wisconsin's Laila Edwards honored to be the first Black woman on U.S. hockey team". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Milewski, Todd D. (January 20, 2024). "Wisconsin's Laila Edwards sees groundbreaking US team appearance as making a difference". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ "2024 U.S. Women's National Team Roster Announced". teamusa.usahockey.com. March 31, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Salvian, Hailey (March 31, 2024). "U.S. women's world championship roster: Kendall Coyne Schofield returns, college stars debut". The Athletic. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Ian (April 5, 2024). "Laila Edwards Becomes First Black Woman In History To Score For Team USA". The Hockey News. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Vohra, Ameeta (April 13, 2024). "Edwards leads United States to gold medal game". IIHF.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ Brown, Erin (April 13, 2024). "Edwards Steals The Show As USA Prepares To Defend For Gold". The Hockey News. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Podnieks, Andrew (April 14, 2024). "Edwards named MVP". IIHF.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "UW's Laila Edwards earns USA Hockey Women's Player of the Year award". wcha.com. June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ "2025 U.S. Women's National Team Roster Unveiled". USA Hockey. March 5, 2025. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
- ^ Salvian, Hailey (April 16, 2025). "Why is Laila Edwards, one of the top young forwards in the world, playing defense?". The Athletic. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ "U.S. women's hockey roster reworked; Knight set for 5th Games". ESPN.com. January 2, 2026. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ^ "Laila Edwards: First black woman on Team USA's Olympic hockey team". Olympics. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ^ "2026 Winter Olympics: Cleveland Heights' Laila Edwards scores as Team USA routs Canada 5-0 to close out group stage". WKYC. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ^ Ayjroyd, Lucas (February 13, 2026). "US ends Italy's run with shutout". iihf.com. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ "Winter Olympics 2026: Undefeated USA women advance to ice hockey semi-final with 6-0 win over host nation Italy". Olympics. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "Cleveland Heights' Laila Edwards, Team USA defeat Canada to win gold medal in women's hockey at 2026 Winter Olympics". WKYC. February 19, 2026. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
- ^ "Laila Edwards becomes first black woman to win gold with Team USA in Hockey". The Athletic. February 19, 2026. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
- ^ a b "Harvey named MVP, All-Star, Best Defender". IIHF.com. February 19, 2026. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
- ^ "2022-23 All-WCHA Teams Announced". wcha.com. February 23, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ "Lucky Seven: Badgers claim seventh National Title". uwbadgers.com. March 19, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ "All-WCHA award recipients announced for 2023-24". wcha.com. February 29, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ "All-WCHA Teams Announced for 2024-25". wcha.com. March 3, 2025. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
- ^ "Frozen Four: Simms Delivers NCAA Title for Wisconsin". collegehockeyinc.com. March 23, 2025. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
- ^ "All-WCHA Teams Announced for 2025-26". wcha.com. February 26, 2026. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
- ^ "On Cloud Nine: Wisconsin claims ninth national championship". uwbadgers.com. March 22, 2026. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- Laila Edwards at Team USA
- Laila Edwards at Milano Cortina 2026
- Laila Edwards at Olympedia
- Laila Edwards at InterSportStats