Laila Edwards enjoys homecoming; prepares to make Olympic debut as USA Hockey's first Black female

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) — It was fajita night to celebrate Laila Edwards' hockey homecoming when an excited shriek pierced the casual gathering in the brightly lit early 20th Century colonial she grew up in on a quiet, tree-lined street. Four generations of the Edwards family turned to see a dumbstruck Laila and long-time friend and teammate Caroline Harvey huddled over a cell phone, breathlessly giggling, one "Oh, my God" after another. There, for all the world to see, was a picture Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. had posted on social media of him arriving for an NBA game wearing Edwards' No. 10 U.S. hockey jersey. "Whoa," said Edwards, well-versed in the city's sports history even though she long ago left Cleveland to pursue a career in hockey. "He's born in Ohio. His dad played for the Cavs. Legend," Edwards said. "I thought it was super cool for him to do that, when he didn't have to." A day later in November, Edwards hit the ice at the same downtown arena, where she took the ceremonial opening face off and had an assist in a 4-1 Rivalry Series win over Canada. Soon enough, Nance might not be the only one hopping aboard the Edwards bandwagon as she prepares to make her Olympic debut at the Milan Cortina Games next month. She will become the first Black female to represent the U.S. at the Olympics in hockey, and at 6-foot-1 (185 centimeters) and 195 pounds (88 kilograms), she is an imposing defender with a rare combination of having a hard shot, speed and deft play-making ability. Future of the sport "Laila is the future of the sport," said Hilary Knight, team captain and the face of U.S. women's hockey. "I think you're seeing someone who's coming into her skill set and just scratching the surface." Edwards is so highly regarded that USA Hockey made a point to play in Cleveland in what served as a coming out party for the player completing her senior college season at top-ranked Wisconsin. She is only 21. It was a four-day visit with practices at a rink Edwards knew well when she was growing up. It was also a chance to reconnect with her family, who have watched much of her development from afar. Edwards left Cleveland to play for an elite girls team in Pittsburgh, and spent high school at the Bishop Kearney Selects Academy in Rochester, New York, before moving on to Wisconsin. "The idea of going from a 400-seat rink to the biggest sporting event in the world, it's like, wow," Edwards said. "It feels like a full-circle moment to be starting the launch of my Olympic career here in Cleveland with my family." Early hockey start Edwards got into hockey at 3, courtesy of her father, Robert. Her older brother, Bobby, first played, and she was joined by older sister Chayla, who also played at Wisconsin. She developed at such a rapid pace that by 11, coaches suggested Edwards begin playing with girls two- and three years older. That prompted the decision to have her play for more established developmental programs, including Kearney, which has produced numerous high-caliber players including fellow Olympic teammates in Harvey, Haley Winn, Kristen Simms and Ava McNaughton. "We thought she was ready because she was mature for her age. She was very solid educationally," Robert Edwards said. "The thing that we didn't expect was to miss her as much as we did, and the loss of not seeing her grow up," he added. "I don't regret doing that, but that is something that I feel was not the best part of her going away." Edwards faced her share of challenges away from home, too. There were growth spurts — some five inches at Kearney — and there were sacrifices, such as having to skip her graduation to compete at the Under-18 world championships. And there was being a Black athlete in a sport predominantly played by white players. "To get through some of the things you have to get through in this sport, you've got to be strong," Edwards said. "There's a lot that goes on in the locker room, outside, coaches, practice, fans," she added, declining to go into details. "You definitely have to be strong. And I think it's huge in terms of representation and being a role model." Forward to defense Little has fazed Edwards, a quality U.S. coach John Wroblewski called the player's strength in whatever she's faced, including making the switch from forward to defender. "She's an inspiring person to be around," Wroblewski said. "I think it's just innate. It's just Laila. She's a gamer. She's the real deal." In her U.S. national team debut at forward, Edwards was named MVP at the 2024 world championships in which the Americans lost the gold medal game to Canada. At worlds this past year, Edwards struggled making the transition to defense, though she still finished with a goal and three assists and won gold. "I didn't have my best tournament, but to me that wasn't what it was all about. We won, and I learned a lot, so that was a win as well," she said. "I think my expectations are a little higher now." Edwards has thrived on adversity. "The word 'challenge' is fine because I don't look at it as a negative. I see it as something that I can learn from," she said. "So I'm always trying to push myself to be a great athlete and player. But more importantly, a good person, role model, teammate." Happy at home Edwards sat squeezed between her two parents on a couch in the family's den. In the living room, bookshelves displayed numerous plaques, trophies and medals she's won, with many more likely to come. The future, however, could wait. On this night, what mattered to Robert and Charone Gray-Edwards was enjoying a few precious moments with their suddenly grown-up daughter set to step onto the world stage. "We tell her we love her regardless. You're not going to be perfect. You're not always going to win. You're not always going to be the top scorer," Charone said. "But you're always our Laila."