Edwards Honored

BASKETBALL

Former Georgia Lady Dawg Teresa Edwards, a two-time All-American for UGA and the only U.S. basketball player to compete in five Olympic Games, has been named one of six winners of the 2010 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award.

The Silver Anniversary Award annually recognizes distinguished individuals on the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of their college athletics careers. The other recipients are: Lisa Caputo, a field hockey and lacrosse player from Brown; Joe Girardi, a baseball player from Northwestern; Tim Green, a football player from Syracuse; Bo Jackson, a football player from Auburn; and Scott Verplank, a golfer from Oklahoma State.

"I've been truly blessed to have my abilities recognized throughout the years," Edwards said. "Truthfully, it's difficult some times to put honors in context and express my feelings in words. However, to be selected for an all-sports honor by the NCAA to represent all of the former student-athletes who finished competing in college in 1985-86 is extremely special to me. To be associated with names like Bo Jackson and Joe Girardi...I've been blessed."

Edwards is the University of Georgia's fourth Silver Anniversary Award honoree since its inception in 1973, joining Fran Tarkenton (1986), Dr. Thomas Lyons (1996) and Dr. Kathyrn McMinn (2009).

Edwards, a native of Cairo, Ga., enjoyed a stellar four-year run with the Lady Dawgs that turned Georgia into one of the nation's premier programs.

She helped lead UGA to its first-ever SEC Championship and Final Four appearance as a freshman in 1983 and then led the Lady Dawgs to the 1984 SEC title, an NCAA runner-up finish in 1985 and a third SEC Championship in 1986. All told, Georgia compiled a 116-7 record during Edwards' four seasons at UGA.

Edwards also began her unmatched international playing career while still in Athens.

In 1984, the summer following her sophomore year in Athens, Edwards was the youngest member of the U.S. team that captured a Gold Medal at the Los Angeles Olympics. She started for virtually every U.S. National Team to enter a major international competition for the rest of the 20th century.

She captured additional Gold Medals in 1988, 1996 and 2000, as well as a Bronze Medal in 1992.

In 2000, Edwards co-captained the United States team to the Gold Medal in Sydney, giving her the unique distinction of being both the youngest and the oldest women's basketball player to earn Olympic Gold.

Edwards enjoyed an extremely successful professional career overseas in Italy, Japan, Spain, France and Russia. She also played a formative role in the development of professional women's basketball in the U.S. Edwards was on the board of directors of the ABL, the first league to form after the Atlanta Olympics, and served as player/coach of the league's Atlanta Glory.

She wrapped up her playing days in the U.S. with the WNBA's Lynx in 2003 and 2004.

Edwards has been inducted into six halls of fame. She was a member of the inaugural class for the UGA's all-sports "Circle of Honor" in 1995 and was inducted to the State of Georgia's Sports Hall of Fame in 2001, the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, the Grady County (Ga.) Sports Hall of Fame in 2009, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.