Tonya Edwards

Last updated

Tonya Edwards
Personal information
Born (1968-03-13) March 13, 1968 (age 56)
Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight160 lb (73 kg)
Career information
High school Flint Northwestern (Flint, Michigan)
College Tennessee (1986–1990)
WNBA draft 1999: 1st round, 7th overall pick
Selected by the Minnesota Lynx
Playing career1999–2002
Position Guard
Coaching career1990–present
Career history
As player:
1996–1998 Columbus Quest
1999 Minnesota Lynx
2000–2001 Phoenix Mercury
2001–2002 Charlotte Sting
As coach:
1990–1995 Northwestern Community HS
2005 Chicago Blaze
2006–2008 Detroit (assistant)
2008–2015 Alcorn State
2016–2018 Los Angeles Sparks (assistant)
2021–2023 Chicago Sky (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As assistant coach:

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Jones Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1987 Taipei Team Competition
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1988 Taipei Team Competition

Tonya LaRay Edwards (born March 13, 1968) [1] is an American retired professional basketball player born in Flint, Michigan, who was most recently an assistant coach of the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. [2] She was previously head coach of the Alcorn State Lady Braves basketball team.

Contents

Professional career

After graduating from college, there were no opportunities to play professional basketball in the U.S., so Edwards played professionally in Spain from 1991 to '92, Turkey in 1994, and Israel from 1995 to '96. In the Autumn of 1996, she played for the Columbus Quest in the American Basketball League (ABL), and won two championship titles with them. In 1998, Edwards became the interim head coach for the Quest after coach Brian Agler resigned. After the ABL folded due to financial difficulties, Edwards was selected by the Minnesota Lynx in the 1999 WNBA draft. [3] She also played for the Phoenix Mercury and Charlotte Sting.[ citation needed ]

Edwards began her coaching career by returning to her alma mater, Northwestern Community High School in Flint, Michigan, for five seasons (1990–1995). She guided her team to the 1993 state championship with perfect 28–0 record, a 1992 state champion runner-up finish, and compiled a 78-23 overall record (.772). She was named 1993 "High School Coach of the Year" in the state of Michigan.[ citation needed ]

In 2004, she became a radio commentator for the Phoenix Mercury games, and later became an assistant coach in the National Women's Basketball League.[ citation needed ]

In 2006, she was inducted to the Greater Flint Afro-American Hall of Fame. That same year, she was named as an assistant coach to the women's basketball team at University of Detroit Mercy.[ citation needed ]

After two years at Detroit, Edwards was head coach at Alcorn State from 2008 to 2015. Edwards was SWAC Coach of the Year in 2011 and led Alcorn State to the SWAC Championship Game in 2012. [4] In seven seasons, Edwards went 60–147 at Alcorn State. [5] On March 23, 2015, Alcorn State announced it would not extend Edwards' contract, which would expire at the end of the month. [6]

WNBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold Career best°League leader

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
1999 Minnesota 323232.2.357.344.8063.52.60.80.42.114.8
2000 Phoenix 323228.9.376.307.7822.41.81.10.32.010.6
2001 Phoenix 10920.8.366.357.7871.91.80.50.12.29.4
2001 Charlotte 22016.9.340.227.7302.01.40.60.31.84.5
2002 Charlotte 29010.4.364.280.7171.40.80.60.10.63.9
Career4 years, 3 teams1257322.7.362.322.7752.31.70.80.21.79.0

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2000 Phoenix 2230.5.250.231.6673.02.52.00.01.08.5
2001 Charlotte 8014.9.429.5001.0002.01.50.60.01.42.8
2002 Charlotte 209.5.200.333.0000.50.50.00.00.51.5
Career3 years, 2 teams12216.6.326.300.6001.91.50.80.01.23.5

USA Basketball

Edwards was named to the team representing the US at the 1987 William Jones Cup competition in Taipei, Taiwan. The team won all seven games to win the gold medal for the event. The USA was down at halftime in the opening game against Japan, but came back in the second half to win, helped by 15 points from Campbell. Edwards was the second leading scorer on the team, averaging 12.4 points per game over the seven games. She was one of three players from the USA team to be named to the Jones Cup All-Tournament Team. [7]

In the following year, 1988, Edwards was also named to the Jones Cup team. The USA team was not as successful, with a 3–2 record, but that was enough to secure the silver medal. Edwards was the leading scorer on the team, averaging 15.4 points per game, and tied for the team lead in steals with 15. [8]

Head coaching record

Edwards' score are as following: [9]

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Alcorn State Lady Braves (Southwestern Athletic Conference)(2008–2015)
2008–09Alcorn State 5–264–1410th
2009–10 Alcorn State 8–208–10T–6th
2010–11Alcorn State 13–1512–63rd
2011–12Alcorn State 14–209–97th
2012–13 Alcorn State 2–262–1610th
2013–14 Alcorn State 8–227–11T–7th
2014–15 Alcorn State 10–189–96th
Alcorn State:60–14751–75
Total:60–147

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References

  1. ↑ "Women's Basketball Coaches Career". NCAA. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Former WNBA All-Star Tonya Edwards Joins Sky Coaching Staff". WNBA. March 22, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  3. ↑ "1999 WNBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Sparks Name Tonya Edwards As Assistant Coach". WNBA. March 16, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  5. ↑ "NCAA® Career Statistics".
  6. ↑ "Alcorn basketball coaches' contracts not extended". Alcorn State University Athletics. March 23, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  7. ↑ "1987 Women's R. William Jones Cup". USA Basketball. June 10, 2010. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  8. ↑ "1988 Women's R. William Jones Cup". USA Basketball. June 10, 2010. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Southwestern Athletic Conference Standings - Women's College Basketball - ESPN".

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