Teresa Edwards Biography - Raised In Jackie's Hometown, Olympic Glory, Abl, All Too Briefly, Chronology
basketball player women games
1964-
American basketball player
Teresa Edwards
She is the most decorated Olympic basketball player ever, male or female, and has a street named after her in her hometown. But Teresa Edwards is often overlooked among women's greats in the sport, having played before the boom in media and fan interest. "She played many of (her) games before her sport caught the public's attention," the Associated Press wrote after Edwards won her fourth Olympic gold medal, as the United States prevailed at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. "Women's basketball had just some [teams] under the NCAA['s auspices] when she started at Georgia. The fan support and media coverage weren't close to what they are now."
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Edwards began her Olympic run in 1984, following her freshman year at Georgia, when she was the youngest member of the U.S. team that won easily in Los Angeles. Four years later, in Seoul, South Korea, Edwards helped spark the Americans to a second-half comeback in their opening game against Czechoslovakia, scoring 24 points overall in an 87-81 triumph. She added 23 points against Yugoslavia in a …
Playing for the Atlanta Glory when the women's professional American Basketball League began in 1996-97, Edwards made the all-league first team and was runner-up to 1996 Olympic teammate Nikki McCray in the voting for most valuable player. Four times in two seasons, she scored more than 40 points in a game. A year later, with the added responsibilities of player-coach, Edwards again made al…
Edwards, however, was ready for one last Olympic attempt—the 2000 Games in Sydney. She announced that this would be her final international competition, and got in playing shape with daily workouts and games against men in an Atlanta gym. "It seems like she's older than she is because she's been playing so long," said Olympic teammate Ruthie Bolton-Holifield in a…
Edwards missed out on big professional dollars because the WNBA arrived after the prime of her career. She had to play abroad for several seasons and her one pro league in the U.S. folded. Ironically, the WNBA, which put Edwards's ABL out of business, has begun to struggle financially as the NBA has begun to distance itself. "A cynic might argue the (NBA) lost interest in the women o…
Johnson, Anne Janette. Great Women in Sports. Detroit: Visible Ink Press, 1996. Adande, J.A. "When Dreams Become Just That; The ABL's Demise Makes Playing Pro Basketball in This Country Tougher for Some and Impossible for Others."Los Angeles Times (December 24, 1998). Bondy, Filip. "Risky WNBA Business: Its Alliance with Casino Big Gamble."New York Daily News (Ja…
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User Comments
about 2 years ago
angelica
what made u to come a basketball player