Teresa Edwards

Edwards and ambassadorEarl Anthony Wayne in 2011
Personal information
Born	(1964-07-19)July 19, 1964 (age 61) Cairo, Georgia, U.S.
Listed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1]
Career information
High school	Cairo (Cairo, Georgia)
College	Georgia (1982–1986)
WNBA draft	2003: 2nd round, 14th overall pick
Drafted by	Minnesota Lynx
Playing career	1996–2004
Coaching career	2007–2014
Career history
Playing
1996–1998	Atlanta Glory
1998	Philadelphia Rage
2003–2004	Minnesota Lynx
Coaching
2007	Minnesota Lynx (assistant)
2011	Tulsa Shock (assistant)
2011	Tulsa Shock (interim)
2014	Atlanta Dream (assistant)
Career highlights
4×USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year (1987, 1990, 1996, 2000) 2×Kodak All-American (1985, 1986) SEC Tournament MVP (1983)
Stats atBasketball Reference
Basketball Hall of Fame
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
FIBA Hall of Fame
Medals Women'sbasketball Representingthe United States Olympic Games 1984 Los Angeles Team competition 1988 Seoul Team competition 1996 Atlanta Team competition 2000 Sydney Team competition 1992 Barcelona Team competition FIBA World Championship 1986 Soviet Union Team competition 1990 Malaysia Team competition 1994 Australia Team competition Pan American Games 1991 Havana Team competition 1987 Indianapolis Team competition Jones Cup 1984 Taipei Team competition 1987 Taipei Team competition 1988 Taipei Team competition

Teresa Edwards (born July 19, 1964)^[2] is an American formerwomen's basketball player and four timeOlympic gold medalist.

In 2000,Sports Illustrated magazine placed her as 22nd of the "100 Greatest Female Athletes of the 20th Century". She played for, and graduated from, theUniversity of Georgia.

The US Olympic Committee appointed Edwards as chef de mission for the2012 Olympic Games.^[3] In 2010, Edwards was inducted into theWomen's Basketball Hall of Fame. in 2013, she was inducted into theFIBA Hall of Fame. In 2021, Edwards published an autobiographical audio book,Black Gold, about her basketball career, with a focus on her Olympic experiences.

Born inCairo, Georgia, Edwards attended Cairo High School, 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.^[2]

Edwards began her college career for theGeorgia Lady Bulldogs basketball at theUniversity of Georgia where she was a two time All-American. She was the starting point guard for the Georgia Lady Bulldogs,^[2] helping lead them to theFinal Four in1983 and1985. Edwards played in her firstOlympic Games in 1984 as a collegian, and won her first of fourgold medals as the youngest member of the team.^[2] Her college jersey number (#5) was retired, making her one of only three Lady Bulldog players given that honor.^[2] She earned her degree in leisure studies in 1990.

Source^[4]

Edwards was the star player and head coach for theAtlanta Glory of theAmerican Basketball League (ABL). She played in the ABL inaugural game between the Glory and theSan Jose Lasers, won by the Lasers 78–70.^[5] She was traded to thePhiladelphia Rage in 1998.^{[citation needed]}

During the2003 WNBA draft, at the urging ofMinnesota Lynx head coachSuzie 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 theSummer Olympics of1988 and1992.^[6][7]

Edwards played for the Lynx during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Afterwards, 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 forNBC Sports coverage ofBasketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[8]

In 2011, Edwards was named as assistant coach of theTulsa Shock. She would later become the interim head coach afterNolan Richardson resigned on July 9, 2011.^[9]

On March 4, 2014, Edwards was hired by the Atlanta Dream as the assistant coach.^[10]

After Edwards graduated, she played abroad for nine seasons splitting time between Vicenza- Italy, Nagoya- Japan, Spain (Dorna Godella), and France (Tarbes andValenciennes).^[2] 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 the1996 Summer Olympics.^[11] Edwards was selected to take thecompetitors' oath at the Opening Ceremonies in Atlanta (the opening ceremonies took place on her 32nd birthday).^[2] She was named the 1996 Sportswoman of the Year (in the team category) by the Women's Sports Foundation.^[12]

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

In 1984, the USA sent its National team to the 1984William Jones Cup competition inTaipei,Taiwan, for pre-Olympic practice. The team easily beat each of the eight teams they played, winning by an average of just under 50 points per game. Edwards averaged 5.5 points per game.^[13]

Edwards is the first female basketball player to have played in fiveOlympics.^[2] She is jointly (with AustralianAndrew Gaze) the third basketball player to compete at five Olympics along with Puerto RicanTeófilo Cruz and BrazilianOscar Schmidt.

She also holds the unique distinction of being the youngest gold medalist in women's basketball (age 20 in1984) and the oldest gold medalist in women's basketball (age 36 in2000).^[2]

She made a record fifth Olympic basketball team, earning a fourthgold medal to go with herbronze medal. She returned toEurope in 2002.

Edwards was named to the team representing the US at the 1987William Jones Cup competition in Taipei, Taiwan. The team won all seven games to win the gold medal for the event. Edwards led the team in scoring with 23 points against China. The USA won the gold medal game by a single point over South Korea, helped by Edwards key free throws with a minute left in the game. She was the team's second leading scorer with 12.4 points per game over the seven games, and was named to the all-tournament team.^[14] In the following year, 1988, Edwards was also named to the Jones Cup team. The USA team was not as successful, with a 3–2 record, but that was enough to secure the silver medal. She averaged 15.4 points per game to lead her team in scoring.^[15]

Edwards was a member of the 1987 gold medal-winningUSA Women's Pan American Team in Indiana,^[16] and the 1991 bronze medal-winning team inHavana,Cuba.^[17]

Edwards was a member of the USA National team at the 1990 World Championships, held inKuala Lumpur,Malaysia. The team won their opening round games fairly easily, with the closest of the first three games a 27-point victory over Czechoslovakia. Then they faced Cuba, a team that had beaten the US in exhibition matches only a few weeks earlier. The USA team was losing at halftime, but came back to win 87–78. Edwards hit four of her five three-point attempts, and scored 32 points, along with five steals. The USA team found itself behind at halftime to Canada in their next game, but came back to win easily 95–70. After an easy match against Bulgaria, the USA team faced Czechoslovakia again, end achieved an almost identical result, winning 87–59. In the title match, the USA team won the gold medal with a score of 88–78. Edwards led the team in scoring and assists, averaging 21.9 points per game and recording 24 assist for the event.^[18]

Edwards was named to the USA national team and competed in the 1994 World Championships, held in June 1994 inSydney,Australia. The team was coached byTara VanDerveer, and won their first six games, when they faced Brazil. In a closely contested, high-scoring game, Brazil hit ten of ten free throws in the final minute to secure a 110–107 victory. The USA won a close final game against Australia 100–95 to earn the bronze medal. Edwards had the second highest scoring average on the team with 12.7 points per game.^[19]

She also holds the record for points in anABL game with 46.[1]

• 2001:Georgia Sports Hall of Fame^[20]
• 2010:Women's Basketball Hall of Fame^[21][22]
• 2009–2012: USA Basketball Board of Directors^[23]
• 2011:Inducted to theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame^[24]
• 2011:NCAA Silver Anniversary Award^[25]
• 2013:FIBA Hall of Fame^[26]

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
• List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games

• 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.

• Teresa Edwards at theFIBA Hall of Fame
• Teresa Edwards atFIBA (archive)
• WNBA Player Profile at theWayback Machine (archived December 8, 2004)
• WNBA trivia page celebrating her 40th birthday at theWayback Machine (archived July 16, 2012)
• USA Basketball Player Biography at theWayback Machine (archived August 10, 2002)
• Profile fromSports Illustrated "100 Greatest Female Athletes of the 20th Century"
• Teresa Edwards at theTeam USA Hall of Fame (archive July 20, 2023)
• Teresa Edwards atOlympedia
• Teresa Edwards atOlympics.com
• IOC 1996 Summer OlympicsArchived August 22, 2008, at theWayback Machine

• 1964 births
• Living people
• All-American college women's basketball players
• American Basketball League (1996–1998) coaches
• American women's basketball coaches
• American women's basketball players
• Atlanta Dream coaches
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• Basketball coaches from Georgia (U.S. state)
• Basketball players at the 1984 Summer Olympics
• Basketball players at the 1987 Pan American Games
• Basketball players at the 1988 Summer Olympics
• Basketball players at the 1991 Pan American Games
• Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics
• Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics
• Basketball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics
• Basketball players from Georgia (U.S. state)
• Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball players
• Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
• Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics
• Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics
• Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics
• Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics
• Minnesota Lynx coaches
• Minnesota Lynx draft picks
• Minnesota Lynx players
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
• Oath takers at the Olympic Games
• Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in basketball
• Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball
• Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball)
• People from Cairo, Georgia
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• 21st-century African-American sportswomen
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• Goodwill Games medalists in basketball
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• Competitors at the 1986 Goodwill Games

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