At 21, Laila Edwards is considered the future of the US women's hockey team

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) — It was fajita night to celebrate Laila Edwards’ hockey homecoming when an excited shriek pierced the casual gathering in the brightly lit early 20th Century colonial she grew up in on a quiet, tree-lined street.

Four generations of the Edwards family turned to see a dumbstruck Laila and long-time friend and teammate Caroline Harvey huddled over a cell phone, breathlessly giggling, one “Oh, my God” after another.

There, for all the world to see, was a picture Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. had posted on social media of him arriving for an NBA game wearing Edwards' No. 10 U.S. hockey jersey.

“Whoa,” said Edwards, well-versed in the city’s sports history even though she long ago left Cleveland to pursue a career in hockey.

“He’s born in Ohio. His dad played for the Cavs. Legend,” Edwards said. “I thought it was super cool for him to do that, when he didn’t have to.”

A day later in November, Edwards hit the ice at the same downtown arena, where she took the ceremonial opening face off and had an assist in a 4-1 Rivalry Series win over Canada.

Soon enough, Nance might not be the only one hopping aboard the Edwards bandwagon as she prepares to make her Olympic debut at the Milan Cortina Games next month. She will become the first Black female to represent the U.S. at the Olympics in hockey, and at 6-foot-1 (185 centimeters) and 195 pounds (88 kilograms), she is an imposing defender with a rare combination of having a hard shot, speed and deft play-making ability.

“Laila is the future of the sport,” said Hilary Knight, team captain and the face of U.S. women’s hockey. “I think you’re seeing someone who’s coming into her skill set and just scratching the surface.”

Edwards is so highly regarded that USA Hockey made a point to play in Cleveland in what served as a coming out party for the player completing her senior college season at top-ranked Wisconsin. She is only 21.

It was a four-day visit with practices at a rink Edwards knew well when she was growing up. It was also a chance to reconnect with her family, who have watched much of her development from afar. Edwards left Cleveland to play for an elite girls team in Pittsburgh, and spent high school at the Bishop Kearney Selects Academy in Rochester, New York, before moving on to Wisconsin.

“The idea of going from a 400-seat rink to the biggest sporting event in the world, it’s like, wow,” Edwards said. “It feels like a full-circle moment to be starting the launch of my Olympic career here in Cleveland with my family.”

Edwards got into hockey at 3, courtesy of her father, Robert. Her older brother, Bobby, first played, and she was joined by older sister Chayla, who also played at Wisconsin.

She developed at such a rapid pace that by 11, coaches suggested Edwards begin playing with girls two- and three years older. That prompted the decision to have her play for more established developmental programs, including Kearney, which has produced numerous high-caliber players including fellow Olympic teammates in Harvey, Haley Winn, Kristen Simms and Ava McNaughton.

“We thought she was ready because she was mature for her age. She was very solid educationally,” Robert Edwards said.

“The thing that we didn’t expect was to miss her as much as we did, and the loss of not seeing her grow up,” he added. “I don’t regret doing that, but that is something that I feel was not the best part of her going away.”

Edwards faced her share of challenges away from home, too. There were growth spurts — some five inches at Kearney — and there were sacrifices, such as having to skip her graduation to compete at the Under-18 world championships.

And there was being a Black athlete in a sport predominantly played by white players.

“To get through some of the things you have to get through in this sport, you’ve got to be strong,” Edwards said.

“There’s a lot that goes on in the locker room, outside, coaches, practice, fans,” she added, declining to go into details. “You definitely have to be strong. And I think it’s huge in terms of representation and being a role model.”

Little has fazed Edwards, a quality U.S. coach John Wroblewski called the player’s strength in whatever she's faced, including making the switch from forward to defender.

“She’s an inspiring person to be around,” Wroblewski said. “I think it’s just innate. It’s just Laila. She’s a gamer. She’s the real deal.”

In her U.S. national team debut at forward, Edwards was named MVP at the 2024 world championships in which the Americans lost the gold medal game to Canada. At worlds this past year, Edwards struggled making the transition to defense, though she still finished with a goal and three assists and won gold.

“I didn’t have my best tournament, but to me that wasn’t what it was all about. We won, and I learned a lot, so that was a win as well,” she said. “I think my expectations are a little higher now.”

Edwards has thrived on adversity.

“The word ‘challenge’ is fine because I don’t look at it as a negative. I see it as something that I can learn from,” she said. “So I’m always trying to push myself to be a great athlete and player. But more importantly, a good person, role model, teammate.”

Edwards sat squeezed between her two parents on a couch in the family’s den. In the living room, bookshelves displayed numerous plaques, trophies and medals she's won, with many more likely to come.

The future, however, could wait. On this night, what mattered to Robert and Charone Gray-Edwards was enjoying a few precious moments with their suddenly grown-up daughter set to step onto the world stage.

“We tell her we love her regardless. You’re not going to be perfect. You’re not always going to win. You’re not always going to be the top scorer,” Charone said. “But you’re always our Laila.”

AP Olympic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Laila Edwards, left, the first Black woman to suit up for Team USA women's Olympic hockey, teammate Caroline Harvey, center, and Laila's nephew Shiloh Stewart, right, talk during a family dinner at her childhood home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

FILE - US's Taylor Heise (27), Lacey Eden (7), Laila Edwards (10) Caroline Harvey (4) and Haley Winn (8) celebrate with teammates after the US defeated Canada in a Rivalry Series women's hockey game Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Laila Edwards, center, the first Black woman to suit up for Team USA women's Olympic hockey, poses for a photo with her parents, Charone Gray-Edwards, left, and Robert Edwards, right, in her childhood home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Laila Edwards, the first Black woman to suit up for Team USA women's Olympic hockey, is pictured during an interview following practice in a rink where she played youth hockey in the past, in Strongsville, Ohio, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Laila Edwards, the first Black woman to suit up for Team USA women's Olympic hockey, participates in a practice, in a rink where she played youth hockey in the past, in Strongsville, Ohio, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 31 points, OG Anunoby added 23 and the New York Knicks followed their most lopsided win in franchise history with a 112-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

The Knicks crushed the Nets 120-66 on Wednesday and then exploded with a 30-point third quarter in a stiffer road test that sent them to their first win in three tries this season over the 76ers.

Joel Embiid had 38 points and 11 rebounds, but turned the ball over on the final play of the game after the Knicks seemingly tried to intentionally foul him. Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points for the Sixers but shot an airball on a late tying 3-point attempt from near halfcourt as he anticipated an intentional foul that didn’t come.

The 76ers had pulled within two late until Anunoby and Landry Shamet followed with consecutive 3s that helped the Knicks stave off the late-game collapse.

Led by Brunson, the Knicks opened the quarter on a 21-7 run and made Philly sound a bit like the inside of Madison Square Garden. The “Let’s go Knicks!” chants that had largely been tamped down by boos in a competitive first half, instead filled the arena with each big Knicks bucket.

Brunson gave a little wave after he buried a 3 for an 84-72 lead. Embiid tried to rally the Sixers and his three-point play in the fourth — aided by a sixth foul on Karl-AnthonyTowns — cut it to 98-92.

It wasn’t enough and a Knicks team that had lost nine of its previous 11 games heading into the Nets game has now won two straight. Modest, yes, but good enough to ensure the Sixers didn’t gain ground on them in the East standings.

HORNETS 119, WIZARDS 115

CHARLOTE, N.C. (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 21 points as the Charlotte Hornets beat Washington, sending the Wizards to their ninth straight loss.

Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball each scored 20 points, Kon Knueppel added 16 and Moussa Diabate 11 as the Hornets won consecutive games for the first time since January 3-5 against Chicago and Oklahoma City.

Tre Johnson had career-highs of 26 points and six assists for the Wizards, who, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, fielded the youngest starting lineup, by average age, since the NBA began tracking starters in 1970-71. Washington’s starting five, at an average age of 20.64 years old, beat the previous youngest lineup of 20.74, fielded by Oklahoma City on April 10, 2021 against Philadelphia.

CAVALIERS 119, MAGIC 105

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 27 of his 36 points in the second half and Cleveland pulled away to a win over Orlando.

Jaylon Tyson added 17 points for the Cavaliers and Evan Mobley had 13 points and seven rebounds.

Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 27 points. Desmond Bane added 20 points and Anthony Black finished with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Jalen Suggs returned after missing eight games with a bruised right knee and had 9 points and six assists in 24 minutes for Orlando.

Playing without Darius Garland (sore toe) and DeAndre Hunter (sore knee), the Cavaliers won for the fifth time in six games.

After Mitchell scored on four layups and a short bank shot in the third quarter, Cleveland got 3-pointers from Lonzo Ball, Mobley and Tyrese Proctor in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter to take a 97-79 lead, the largest of the game.

Banchero hit three 3-pointers in the final period, but the Magic could get no closer than nine.

Mitchell made 15 of 30 shots and had nine assists and two steals.

BULLS 114, CELTICS 111

CHICAGO (AP) — Kevin Huerter made a 3-pointer just before the buzzer, lifting Chicago past Boston before retiring Derrick Rose’s jersey number.

Coby White scored 22 points and hit five of Chicago’s 21 3s, helping the Bulls win their fourth straight.

Rose entered rarified air after the game when the Bulls sent his No. 1 to the rafters, putting the Chicago product alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan and Bob Love as the only players with numbers retired by the team.

The Bulls gave their crowd plenty to cheer before they honored the South Side product and former MVP by squeezing out a win over the Eastern Conference’s second-place team, even though Jaylen Brown scored 33 for Boston.

Chicago led 111-109 when White missed a driving layup and Smith missed the putback with 20 seconds remaining. Brown got the rebound and drove for a layup to tie it with 14 seconds left.

The Bulls called a timeout and worked the ball to Huerter, who nailed a 3 from the corner with less than a second remaining. Huerter arrived at United Center wearing a No. 1 jersey in honor of Rose.

Nikola Vucevic scored 16 for Chicago, and Smith and Matas Buzelis added 14 points apiece.

LAKERS 116, MAVERICKS 110

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 33 points and 11 assists, and the Lakers erased a 15-point deficit in the final seven minutes of a victory over the Mavericks in the star guard’s second visit to Dallas since his shocking trade to Los Angeles almost a year ago.

LeBron James scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, when Rui Hachimura had a four-point play before another 3-pointer on the next possession to put the Lakers in front for good as Doncic improved to 4-0 against his former team.

Hachimura’s 3-pointer for a 108-106 lead started an 11-2 run that Doncic capped with a driving layup for an eight-point edge, prompting the Slovenian star to turn his old bench and declare the game over.

Max Christie, who came to Dallas along with injured 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis in the trade for Doncic, scored 24 points. Naji Marshall had 21 points and 11 rebounds as Dallas’ season-best four-game winning streak ended.

The Mavericks outscored the Lakers 41-14 from the start of the third quarter until early in the fourth, turning a 13-point deficit into a 14-point lead. Brandon Williams, who scored 20 points, had eight on a 10-2 run to finish the third, which started with a 20-4 Dallas burst.

The lead was 15 points with less than 7 minutes remaining when the Lakers started their rally, sparked by James after a slow start had him with a minus-28 rating early in the fourth.

New York Knicks' Ariel Hukporti, left, blocks the shot by Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)