St. Rose’s Edwards: ‘Time is now to speak up’
Women’s basketball coach reflects on the historic Final Four
The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament’s Final Four featured two Black women head coaches for the first time.
Former WNBA player and collegiate star Adia Barnes and the Arizona Wildcats — her alma mater — made their debut appearance. Team USA player and coach and former WNBA player Dawn Staley led her South Carolina Gamecocks to the team’s third Final Four appearance in program history.
Staley — who won the NCAA championship with the Gamecocks in 2017 — made it clear that this is a long time coming.
“There are so many Black coaches out there that don’t get an opportunity because, when ADS don’t see it, they don’t see it, and they’re going to see it on the biggest stage of a Friday night that two Black women are representing two programs in the Final Four, something that has never been done before. Our history here in women’s basketball is so filled with so many Black bodies that for this to be happening in 2021, to me, is long overdue, but we’re proud,” Staley said.
Both games of the women’s Final Four were tight, exciting contests, leading to Sunday’s matchup between Arizona and Stanford. Arizona’s upset of Uconn proved again that great defense often beats terrific offense. And the agony of defeat and magical celebrations were on full display during Stanford’s one-point win over South Carolina as Aliyah Boston’s last-second tip shot just missed.
And what a final it was. Stanford, led by coach Tara Vanderveer, who grew up in Schenectady, withstood several Arizona comebacks from large deficits to prevail 54-53 in San Antonio. Vanderveer this year became the winningest women’s college basketball coach, surpassing the late Tennessee legend Pat Summitt.
Whitney Edwards, the College of Saint Rose’s head women’s basketball coach, reflected on this year’s women’s tournament and Final Four as she and most coaches were forced to watch from afar because of COVID -19 restrictions.
“This is only the second time I haven’t been at the Final Four since I became an assistant coach at Plattsburgh (in 2010),” she said, referring to both the games and coaches’ convention traditionally held at the host site.
“I appreciate the players and coaches speaking out, I’m all for it,” she said in reference to the equality issues that have always been there but gained national attention thanks to both social media and the “bubble” atmosphere of the men’s and women’s tournaments being held in one city.
The 35-year-old from Mount Vernon started playing basketball around the time the WNBA made its debut in 1996. She earned a Division I scholarship to the University of New Hampshire and was a four-year letter winner and two-time captain of the women’s basketball team. She was named the 2007 America East Defensive Player of the Year and was a member of the America East All-defensive Team in both her junior and senior seasons. She finished her career second on the Wildcats’ all-time lists in steals (229) and assists (382).
When she played in college, equality with the men’s programs was a concern, but no one really talked about it, Edwards said. But she feels she’s had a front-row seat watching — and participating in — the evolution of the game.
“Equity in sports has always been an issue. Players these days have much more awareness around not accepting the crumbs and calling things out. In the past 10 years, there have been issues that have come up regarding food and players getting enough to eat when they travel, and now we have conversations about name, image and likeness and if the athletes should get paid for what they bring to the game,” Edwards said. “Then you add racial bias and discrimination and we just have bigger and bigger conversations around these important issues.”
She says her role as a head coach and a Black woman is to empower those around her — her players and assistant coaches — to speak out. Final Four coaches Staley and Barnes promoted those same ideals as the women made Final Four history in 2021.
“The time is now to speak up. I love engaging in conversations and I work to empower my players to understand they have an important place in these discussions,” she said. “I hired a full-time assistant who also is a woman of color and I have a volunteer assistant who is a former player of mine. We teach our players how to get ready for life after all this. We are trying to build people who can contribute down the line, people who understand what their value is and what they can give. We are trying to make history and build a great program here.”
It’s a challenging goal. And all these discussions are good for the game, she said.