Women’s hockey star Laila Edwards made history in 2023 when she became the first black woman ever to be selected to the USA women’s senior national hockey team.
The 21-year old Edwards continued to be a trailblazer as she just became the first black woman to be selected to represent the United State’s women’s hockey team in the upcoming Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Edwards has also been a star at the collegiate level at the University of Wisconsin, where she led the Badgers a pair of NCAA national championships in 2023 and 2025. She scored 35 goals during her junior season in 2025 to lead Wisconsin to the national title. In her first three years at Wisconsin, the 6’1” forward has scored a total of 69 goals. After her sophomore year in 2024, she was the recipient of the USA Hockey Bob Allen Women’s Player of the Year Award.
Edwards joined the Senior National Team and became the first black woman to play for the United States at the World’s Women Championships. She scored six goals and helped lead the USA to a silver medal. She was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, thus becoming the youngest player to win the award. She helped lead the USA to a gold medal in the 2025 World Championships after switching her position to defense.
The Olympic Games will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy from February 6 to 22.