Laila Edwards became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal for Team USA in women’s hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. The milestone marks a significant moment for Black women in the sport.
How did Edwards and Team USA win gold?
The 22-year-old Ohio native secured the win as she helped her team defeat Canada 2-1 in overtime during the gold-medal game. In addition to the historic first, Edwards is also the first Black woman to represent the USA at the Olympic Games.
Edwards helped spark the comeback, putting a shot on goal late in regulation that American forward Hilary Knight redirected to tie the game at 1-1. Team USA secured the win in overtime when forward Megan Keller scored the game-winning goal. Days earlier, Edwards scored in a game against Italy, leading the team to a 6-0 victory, Teen Vogue reported.
Edwards was one of three Black women in the game, with two Black players, forward Sarah Nurse and defender Sophie Jaques, representing Canada. The pair are also teammates and play for the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s Vancouver Goldeneyes, per The Atlantic
Edwards on her parents supporting her career: ‘They are the reason I’m here’
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Edwards had just turned 22 on Jan. 25, leading up to the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games. She started figure skating at three years old before making the switch to hockey at five, where she learned it was the right sport for her, according to NBC.
While this was a childhood dream for her, Edwards said it was her parents, Robert Edwards, a former hockey player, and Charone Gray-Edwards, who encouraged her to be the best athlete she could be.
“Whether that was time, money … they are the reason I’m here,” she told People. “It sounds cliche, but it’s very true. The tournaments I went to get exposure to get better, those cost a lot of money. We would probably be very well off if I didn’t play hockey.”
“Ice is expensive. Then you got to pay for a coach, the equipment,” Edwards continued. “I can’t even put into words how much money they’ve put into this and left work early to take me to a game, take me to practice.”