Laila Edwards

Laila Edwards (born January 25, 2004) is an American college ice hockey player for the University of Wisconsin and a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She has won two World Championship medals, including gold at the 2025 World Championship and silver at the 2024 World Championship, where she was named Tournament MVP at age 20, becoming the youngest player to receive the honor. Edwards made history in 2023 as the first Black woman to play for the U.S. women's senior national team. She is also the first Black woman to score a goal for Team USA at the 2024 World Championships and at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where she also became the first Black woman on a USA team to receive a gold medal in ice-hockey.

At the collegiate level, Edwards has won two NCAA national championships with the Wisconsin Badgers (2023 and 2025). She was a Patty Kazmaier Award top-three finalist in 2025 and led the nation with 35 goals during her junior season. Edwards won the Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year Award in 2024.