Teresa Edwards facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Teresa Edwards

Edwards and ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne in 2011
Personal information
Born	(1964-07-19) July 19, 1964 (age 60) Cairo, Georgia, U.S.
High school	Cairo (Cairo, Georgia)
Listed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Career information
College	Georgia (1982–1986)
NBA Draft	2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 14th overall
Selected by the Minnesota Lynx
Pro career	1996–2004
Coaching career	2007–2014
Career history
As player:
1996–1998	Atlanta Glory
1998	Philadelphia Rage
2003–2004	Minnesota Lynx
As coach:
2007	Minnesota Lynx (assistant)
2011	Tulsa Shock (assistant)
2011	Tulsa Shock (interim)
2014	Atlanta Dream (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
2x Kodak All-American (1985, 1986) SEC Tournament MVP (1983)
Medals Women's basketball Representing 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 1986 Soviet Union Team competition Gold 1990 Malaysia Team competition Bronze 1994 Australia Team competition Pan American Games Gold 1987 Indianapolis Team competition Bronze 1991 Havana Team competition Jones Cup Gold 1984 Taipei Team competition Gold 1987 Taipei Team competition Silver 1988 Taipei Team competition

Teresa Edwards (born July 19, 1964) is an amazing American former women's basketball player. She is famous for winning four Olympic gold medals. Many people consider her one of the greatest female athletes ever.

In 2000, Sports Illustrated magazine said she was 22nd on their list of the "100 Greatest Female Athletes of the 20th Century". She played college basketball at the University of Georgia.

The US Olympic Committee chose Edwards to be the chef de mission for the 2012 Olympic Games. This means she was the leader of the entire US Olympic team. In 2010, Edwards was added to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2013, she also joined the FIBA Hall of Fame. In 2021, Edwards wrote an audio book called Black Gold. It's about her basketball career, especially her time at the Olympics.

High School Basketball Career

Teresa Edwards was born in Cairo, Georgia. She went to Cairo High School. She was a starting player for all four years there. In her junior and senior years, her team, the Syrupmakers, won 58 games and lost only 3. She scored 1,982 points during her high school career. In 1982, she was named the best high school player in Georgia.

College Basketball Years

Edwards started her college career at the University of Georgia. She played for the Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team. She was named an All-American twice. Teresa was the starting point guard for the Lady Bulldogs. She helped her team reach the Final Four in the national tournaments in 1983 and 1985.

Edwards played in her first Olympic Games in 1984 while still in college. She won her first of four gold medals as the youngest player on the team. Her jersey number, 5, was so special that the university retired it. Only two other Lady Bulldog players have received this honor. She earned her college degree in 1990.

ABL Professional Career

After college, Edwards played professionally. She was a star player and coach for the Atlanta Glory. This team was part of the American Basketball League (ABL). She played in the very first ABL game. Later, in 1998, she moved to another team, the Philadelphia Rage.

WNBA Professional Career

In 2003, the Minnesota Lynx team picked Edwards in the 2003 WNBA draft. The coach, Suzie McConnell Serio, really wanted her on the team. This was special because Edwards was 38 years old, which is quite old for a basketball player. Edwards and Serio had been teammates on the US Olympic team in 1988 and 1992.

Edwards played for the Lynx during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. After that, her contract ended. No other WNBA team offered her a contract for the 2005 season. In December 2006, Edwards returned to the Lynx as an assistant coach.

Edwards also worked as a sports analyst for NBC Sports. She helped cover basketball during the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2011, Edwards became an assistant coach for the Tulsa Shock. She later became the interim head coach when the main coach resigned. On March 4, 2014, Edwards was hired as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Dream.

International Basketball Achievements

After college, Edwards played basketball in other countries for nine seasons. She played in Italy, Japan, Spain, and France. During this time, she also kept playing for the US national team.

After the 1994 season, she stayed in the United States. She trained for her fourth Olympic appearance at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Edwards was chosen to say the competitors' oath at the Opening Ceremonies in Atlanta. This happened on her 32nd birthday! She was named the 1996 Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation.

She played for the United States in international competitions 19 times. Her teams won 14 gold medals. In 1984, the USA team went to the William Jones Cup in Taipei, Taiwan. This was practice before the Olympics. The team easily won all eight games. They won by almost 50 points per game. Edwards scored about 5.5 points per game.

Edwards is the first female basketball player to play in five Olympics. She is also one of only a few basketball players to compete in five Olympics. She holds a special record. She is the youngest female basketball player to win a gold medal (at age 20 in 1984). She is also the oldest female basketball player to win a gold medal (at age 36 in 2000).

She made a record fifth Olympic basketball team. She earned her fourth gold medal to go with her bronze medal. She went back to Europe to play in 2002.

Edwards was on the team that won the gold medal at the 1987 William Jones Cup in Taipei, Taiwan. The team won all seven games. Edwards led the team in scoring with 23 points against China. The USA won the gold medal game by just one point against South Korea. Edwards helped by making important free throws near the end of the game. She was the team's second-highest scorer. She scored 12.4 points per game and was named to the all-tournament team.

In 1988, Edwards was also on the Jones Cup team. This time, the USA team had a 3–2 record. This was enough to win the silver medal. She led her team in scoring, averaging 15.4 points per game.

Edwards was part of the 1987 gold medal-winning USA Women's Pan American Team in Indiana. She was also on the 1991 bronze medal-winning team in Havana, Cuba.

Edwards was on the USA National team at the 1990 World Championships. These were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The team won their first games easily. Then they played Cuba, a team that had beaten the US before. The USA team was losing at halftime but came back to win 87–78. Edwards made four of her five three-point shots and scored 32 points. The USA team won the gold medal game with a score of 88–78. Edwards led the team in scoring and assists. She averaged 21.9 points per game.

Edwards was also on the USA national team for the 1994 World Championships. These were held in June 1994 in Sydney, Australia. The team won their first six games. Then they played Brazil in a close, high-scoring game. Brazil won 110–107. 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.

She also holds the record for points in an ABL game with 46 points.

Awards and Honors

• 2001: Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
• 2010: Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
• 2009–2012: USA Basketball Board of Directors
• 2011: Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
• 2011: NCAA Silver Anniversary Award
• 2013: FIBA Hall of Fame

See also

In Spanish: Teresa Edwards para niños

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