Laila Edwards play isn't surprising her teammates, as the 6-foot-2 forward has quickly asserted herself as one of the best players on the planet at the 2024 IIHF World Championships.
Laila Edwards play isn't surprising her teammates, as the 6-foot-2 forward has quickly asserted herself as one of the best players on the planet at the 2024 IIHF World Championships.
There's no debating it, Laila Edwards has stepped forward as USA Hockey's newest national team star. To open the tournament, she was slated in as depth with Team USA, but it's been a meteoric rise since then.
"I've kind of just been telling myself my shifts might be limited, so make every shift count and act as if it's my last and I think that's been benefitting me pretty well," said Edwards. "With that mentality I've been able to succeed."
That success included a hat trick during the IIHF World Championship semifinals, a 5-0 Team USA win over Finland. She continues to get better. As Edwards says, she's learning from her teammates and coaches every time she steps on the ice.
"They're willing to teach and I'm willing to learn so it's been a good combination
Her performance in Utica may surprise some, but not Edwards' teammates. One of those players, Caroline Harvey has watched Edwards progression all season long as teammates at the University of Wisconsin and now USA.
"Despite her being as young as she is she always rises to the challenge," said Harvey.
As a member of USA's U-18 national team, Edwards was the MVP of the U-18 World Championships in 2022. As a rookie with Wisconsin last season, Edwards won an NCAA national championship. This season, her game took a huge step to the point where the 6-foot-2 forward was one of the most dominant players in the nation scoring 21 goals and 56 points in 41 games for the Badgers.
As Taylor Heise, who herself has collected many awards and personal honors stated however, it's not about the numbers, or the recognition for Edwards, it's about helpnig her team win.
"She doesn't care about her personal accolades, she just wants us to win and she's here for a reason," said Heise. "She stepped up in a way that not a lot of people can."
Edwards is making the most of her first World Championship tournament with USA's senior national team. She's the first Black woman to ever play for USA, the first Black woman to score a goal, and now the first Black woman to score a hat trick. Her entire tournament has been one of firsts, but for Edwards, as Heise said, it's not about personal accomplishment. With that in mind, there is one more 'first' she still hopes to achieve, and it's one that would impact her entire team and nation...a gold medal on home soil.
"It would mean everything, especially on home soil," Edwards said. "That would be incredible."