Coach Teresa Edwards

Coach
Born	(1964-07-19) July 19, 1964 (age 48) Cairo, Georgia
Nationality	American
College	Georgia
WNBA career	2011–2011
Profile	WNBA coach profile
WNBA Head Coach of
Tulsa Shock (2011)
WNBA Assistant Coach of
Minnesota Lynx (2007) Tulsa Shock (2011)
Coaching Record
Regular season	2–21 (.087)
Medal record Women’s basketball Competitor for the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1984 Los Angeles Team competition Gold 1988 Seoul Team competition Gold 1996 Atlanta Team competition Gold 2000 Sydney Team competition Bronze 1992 Barcelona Team competition FIBA World Championship Gold 1990 Malaysia Team competition Pan American Games Gold 1987 Indianapolis Team competition Bronze 1991 Havana Team competition

Teresa Edwards (born July 19, 1964 in Cairo, Georgia)^[1] is an American former women's basketball player and coach. In 2000, Sports Illustrated magazine placed her as 22nd of the "100 Greatest Female Athletes of the 20th Century".

The US Olympic Committee appointed Edwards as chef de mission for the 2012 Olympic Games.^[2]

High school [edit]

Edwards attended Cairo High School in Georgia, where she was a four year starter. In her junior and senior years, the Syrupmakers were 58–3. She scored 1,982 points in her high school career, and was honored as the Georgia High School Player of the Year in 1982.^[1]

College years [edit]

Edwards began her college career at the University of Georgia where she was a two time All-American. She was the starting point guard for the Georgia Bulldogs,^[1] helping lead them to the Final Four in 1983 and 1985. Edwards played in her first Olympic Games as a collegian, and was the youngest member of the team,in 1984.^[1] Her college jersey number (#5) was retired, making her one of only three Lady Bulldog players given that honor.^[1]

She earned her degree in Leisure Studies in 1990.

ABL career [edit]

Edwards was the star player and head coach for the Atlanta Glory of the American Basketball League (ABL). She played in the ABL inaugural game between the Glory and the San Jose Lasers, won by the lasers 78–70.^[3] She also played for the Philadelphia Rage.

WNBA career [edit]

During the 2003 WNBA Draft, at the urging of Minnesota Lynx head coach Suzie McConnell Serio, the Lynx selected Edwards even though she was 38 years old. Edwards and Serio were teammates on the women's basketball team during the Summer Olympics of 1988 and 1992.^[4][5]

Edwards played for the Lynx during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Afterward, her contract expired and she became a free agent. But no other WNBA team offered her a contract for the 2005 season.

In December 2006, Edwards returned to Lynx, as an assistant coach.

Edwards served as an analyst for NBC Sports coverage of Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[6]

International career [edit]

After Edwards graduated, she played abroad for nine seasons splitting time between Vicenza- Italy, Nagoya- Japan, Spain(Dorna Godella), and France (Tarbes and Valenciennes).^[1] During this time, she also continued to appear in international competition.

After the 1994 season, she stayed in the United States to train for her fourth Olympic appearance at the 1996 Summer Olympics.^[7] Edwards was selected to take the competitors' oath at the Opening Ceremonies in Atlanta (the opening ceremonies took place on her 32nd birthday).^[1] She was named the 1996 Sportswoman of the Year (in the team category) by the Women's Sports Foundation.^[8]

She competed for the United States in international competition a total of 19 times. Her teams won 14 gold medals.

Edwards is the first female basketball player to have played in five Olympics.^[1] She is jointly (with Australian Andrew Gaze) the third basketball player to compete at five Olympics along with Puerto Rican Teófilo Cruz and Brazilian Oscar Schmidt.

She also holds the unique distinction of being the youngest gold medalist in women's basketball (age 20 in 1984) and the oldest gold medalist in women's basketball (age 36 in 2000).^[1]

She made a record fifth Olympic basketball team, earning a fourth gold medal to go with her bronze medal. She returned to Europe in 2002.

Edwards was a member of the 1987 gold medal winning USA Women's Pan American Team in Indiana,^[9] and the 1991 bronze medal winning team in Havana, Cuba.^[10]

She also holds the record for points in a women's basketball game in the United States with 46.

Vital statistics [edit]

• Position: Guard
• Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)
• College: University of Georgia
• Team(s): Minnesota Lynx

Awards and honors [edit]

• 2010 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame ^[11][12]
• 2009–2012 USA Basketball Board of Directors^[13]
• 2011 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award^[14]

See also [edit]

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event

Notes [edit]

References [edit]

• Grundy, Pamela (2005). Shattering the glass. New Press. ISBN 978-1-56584-822-1. 
• David L. Porter, ed. (2005). Basketball: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-30952-6. 

External links [edit]

• IOC 1996 Summer Olympics
• WNBA Player Profile
• WNBA trivia page celebrating her 40th birthday
• USA Basketball Player Biography
• Profile from Sports Illustrated "100 Greatest Female Athletes of the 20th Century"
• Georgia Sports Hall of Fame