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.
Edwards left her hometown of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, to attend Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, New York, at the age of 13.[1] 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.[2] She skipped her high school graduation ceremony to compete at the 2022 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship.[3]
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.[4]
During the 2023–24 season, in her sophomore year, she recorded 21 goals and 35 assists in 41 games.[5] Following the season she was named to the All-WCHA Third Team.[6] On May 29, 2024, she was named the recipient of the USA Hockey Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year Award.[7]
On September 18, 2024, she was named an alternate captain for the 2024–25 season.[8] In her junior year, she recorded 35 and 36 assists in 41 games. She led the nation with 35 goals. Her 35 goals were the most by a Badgers player since Brianna Decker recorded 37 goals during the 2011–12 season.[9] Following the season she was named to the All-WCHA First Team and a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award.[10] 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.[11][12]
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.[13] Following the tournament she was named the tournament's most valuable player, best forward and named to the All-Tournament team.[14]
In November 2023, she was named to the United States women's national ice hockey team for the November Rivalry Series against Canada.[15][16] She was the first black woman to play for the U.S. women's senior national team.[17][18]
On March 31, 2024, she 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.[19][20][21] 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.[21] During the semifinals against Finland, Edwards recorded a hat-trick to help lead the United States to the gold medal game against Canada.[22][23] 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.[24][25]
On March 5, 2025, she was again named to the United States roster for the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship.[26] Edwards was told she would have a better chance at staying on the roster at defense than forward, as a result she switched positions. During the tournament she recorded one goal and three assists in seven games and won a gold medal.[27]
Edwards was born to Robert Edwards and Charone Gray-Edwards. She has two brothers, Robert and Colson, and two sisters, Britney Gray and Chayla. Her sister Chayla also plays ice hockey for Wisconsin.[2]
| 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 | 423 | 69 | 85 | 154 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 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 | |
| Junior totals | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | ||||
| Senior totals | 14 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 0 | ||||
| Honors | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| WCHA All-Rookie Team | 2023 | [28] |
| NCAA All-Tournament Team | 2023, 2025 | [29] |
| All-WCHA Third Team | 2024 | [30] |
| All-WCHA First Team | 2025 | [31] |
| International | ||
| IIHF World Women's U18 Championship Best Forward | 2022 | [14] |
| 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 | [24] |
| IIHF World Women's Championship Media All-Star Team | 2024 | |
| USA Hockey | ||
| Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year Award | 2024 | [7] |
