Born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio to Charone Gray-Edwards and Robert Edwards,[1][2] Laila was raised in Cleveland Heights with her siblings: older brother Robert (Bobby), older sister Chayla, younger brother Colson, and sister Britney Gray.[3][4]
Edwards began figure skating at age three before switching to ice hockey at age four or five.[1] Her father enrolled her and three of her siblings in the Cleveland Heights Youth Hockey Program.[1][5] By age eight, she was traveling to out-of-state tournaments and played AAA hockey with boys' teams, including the Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks and Cleveland Barons.[6][7] She also participated in the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite Girls hockey program.[8]
Edwards left Cleveland Heights at age 13 to attend Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, New York, for its elite girls' hockey program.[9] During the 2021–22 season, she recorded 38 goals and 59 assists for the under-19 team at Bishop Kearney. She finished her career at Bishop Kearney with 147 goals and 266 assists in 287 games from 2018 to 2022.[10] She skipped her high school graduation ceremony to compete at the 2022 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship.[11]
On September 18, 2024, she was named an alternate captain for the 2024–25 season.[16] In her junior year, she recorded 35 and 36 assists in 41 games. She led the nation with 35 goals. Her 35 goals were the most by a Badgers player since Brianna Decker recorded 37 goals during the 2011–12 season.[17] Following the season she was named to the All-WCHA First Team and a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award.[18] During the semifinals of the 2025 NCAA Division I women's ice hockey tournament, she recorded a hat-trick to help Wisconsin advance to the national championship game for the third consecutive season.[19][20]
International play
Youth
Edwards represented the United States at the 2022 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship where she was an alternate captain. She led the team in scoring, with four goals and four assists in five games and won a silver medal.[21] Following the tournament she was named the tournament's most valuable player, best forward and named to the All-Tournament team.[22]
On March 31, 2024, Edwards was named to the United States roster for the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship and was the first black woman to play for the United States at the IIHF World Women's Championship.[27][28][29] During a preliminary round game against Czechia on April 5, 2024, Edwards became the first black woman to score a goal for team USA at the IIHF World Women's Championship.[29] During the semifinals against Finland, Edwards recorded a hat-trick to help lead the United States to the gold medal game against Canada.[30][31] She finished the tournament with six goals and two assists in seven games and won a silver medal. She was subsequently named the Tournament MVP and named to the All-Star team, becoming the youngest player to be named MVP at an IIHF World Women's Championship.[32][33]
On March 5, 2025, Edwards was named to the United States roster for the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship.[34] After being told she would have a better chance at staying on the roster at defense than forward, she switched positions. During the tournament she recorded one goal and three assists in seven games and won a gold medal.[35]
Olympics
On January 2, 2026, Edwards was named to team USA's roster to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics.[36]
Personal life
Her sister Chayla also plays ice hockey for Wisconsin.[10]
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United States 
