Laila Edwards has joined a special and necessary sorority. And no, it doesn’t involve pink and green, or crimson and cream (but oo-oop to all of my sorors anyway). At just 19, she’s now a part of the “first” club.
The University of Wisconsin junior, who wears the title of “first” proudly, is holding down her place in history as the first Black woman to play for the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team. And in a sport that has historically lacked diversity, Edwards has already created a powerful legacy both on and off the ice.
The standout player led Wisconsin to a national championship while collecting the 2024 Bob Allen Women’s Player of the Year award and earning recognition as a 2025 North America Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in sports.
“At first it was a little bit overwhelming making that history and all the media and things like that,” Edwards says during our video call, squeezing it in between her college classes. “But then I was like, ‘This is such a privilege.’ I’m becoming a role model for so many people and I’m being that someone that I didn’t necessarily have when I was their age.”
When Edwards competes, she carries the weight of that representation. Seeing her on the ice means a lot to young girls who never saw anyone who looked like them playing hockey.
“It’s great to see someone that looks like you at that level, but then to see someone succeed at that level is even more important,” she explains.
Her hockey journey pretty much started at home. “It was my dad,” Edwards shares. “He played, and so of course my siblings and I didn’t have much of an option. He put us in as soon as I could crawl or walk. I was skating at two or three and playing for real at five and six.”
Even though she fell in love with the game, it was hard not to notice how few players looked like her. Growing up, Edwards barely saw any Black players at local games—except for her own family. On TV, it was a rare sight to catch a Black male player, let alone a woman.
That lack of visibility is a big part of why she’s so committed to being the role model she never had. “I’m hoping for those young girls of color that don’t feel very represented to see me, see that I’m thriving at this level, and hopefully grow in the game,” she says.
Last month, Edwards was the star at Red Bull Light the Lamp, an event that mixed slap shots with mini-golf elements (yep, you read that right). The whole point was to get people who’ve never touched a hockey stick to give it a try.
“It brought so many different people together who never even played hockey,” Edwards explains. “People of all different ages, races, color or gender. The collaboration with [Red Bull] has been awesome and opened so many different avenues for me and given me so many opportunities.”
When asked what single change could make hockey more inclusive, Edwards identifies accessibility as the primary barrier. “It’s really hard to access, unfortunately. It’s not like you can just go skate in your backyard versus you can bounce a basketball in your backyard,” she explains. “Even for starting out, if you want to start hockey, you got to get gear, which is expensive, and then ice time is expensive.”
It’s a challenge she’s personally addressing.
But it’s Edwards’ future that has many people, including myself, hopeful for her bright future. “I want to leave a legacy that I was a great player, but an even better person and an inspiration,” she responds thoughtfully. “I want [young Black girls] to see that I was at that level, but also that I succeeded at that level and I was one of the top people at that level because getting there is wonderful. It’s hard to get there, but to be a star there is even greater and even more inspiring.”
