UGA's Edwards elected to Hall of Fame

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Teresa Edwards, a five-time Olympian and a two-time University of Georgia All-American, was elected to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday.

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AJC File Teresa Edwards lead the Lady Bulldogs to two Final Fours in the 1980s.

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The honor, coming in Edwards’ first year of eligibility, adds to her resume as the most decorated women’s basketball player in state of Georgia history.

She helped lead UGA to two Final Fours in the 1980s and played on Olympic teams that compiled a combined 33-1 record and won four gold medals, including one at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. She last played for the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx in 2004; players are Hall-eligible five years after retirement.

“I’m just so thankful for the abilities God blessed me with and the many people along the way who helped me realize my potential,” Edwards, an Atlanta resident, said in a statement Saturday.

In the same statement, Georgia coach Andy Landers, who recruited Edwards out of Cairo High School, said: “In my mind, she ought to have her own room at the ... Hall of Fame.”

Edwards is the only U.S. basketball player to compete in five Olympics (1984, ’88, ’92, ’96 and 2000). She became both the youngest and the oldest women’s basketball player to win a gold medal.

Also elected to the Hall of Fame were former players Teresa Weatherspoon and Rebecca Lobo; former Maryland coach Chris Weller; Texas high school coach Leta Andrews; and Gloria Ray, president of the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corp.