Laryn Edwards goes from coach to player for Providence women's basketball team

NEW YORK (AP) - Laryn Edwards 認める she was a little nervous before stepping の上に the 法廷,裁判所 for Providence's game at Columbia on Wednesday morning.

It's hard to 非難する her since it was Edwards' first game in 20 months.

She 卒業生(する)d from Loyola, Md., in 2022 after playing four years there and still had 適格(性) left since the NCAA 認めるd all players an extra year because of COVID-19. She also had a redshirt year after playing only seven games as a freshman at Loyola because of an 傷害.

"I went into the 移転 portal and wasn´t thinking it was going to be my last game," Edwards said of her final game for the Greyhounds in 2022.

When she didn't get any 申し込む/申し出s she liked, she decided to become a coach and 受託するd a 職業 at Providence as a 卒業生(する) assistant later that year. She never had discussions with the old Providence staff about playing, but when Erin Batth took over the program this year, Edwards thought why not broach the 支配する.

"I について言及するd it to coach and it went from there," Edwards said. "She said `do you want to play?´ and I said yes, so here I am today."

Batth felt that Edwards could 供給する some 退役軍人 leadership at the point guard position for the Friars.

"She´s wonderful, she´s 広大な/多数の/重要な," Batth said of Edwards. "She has 適格(性) and is a 広大な/多数の/重要な player and 供給するs some 価値のある experience, why the heck not?"

It took a few weeks for the Providence 同意/服従 staff to make sure that Edwards was 適格の to play for the Friars. There was some precedent as Edwards, who is getting an MBA at Providence, isn´t the only player to take this circuitous 大勝する 支援する to playing. Danielle Rauch at Clemson did something 類似の, although she started pl aying for the Tigers at the beginning of the season instead of a month in after 存在 a 卒業生(する) assistant last season.

Edwards got (疑いを)晴らすd a day before the team was 始める,決める to take on Columbia. Edwards played about seven minutes in the loss, grabbing an 不快な/攻撃 回復する and 行方不明の her only 発射 試みる/企てる.

"It´s been awesome to have this 適切な時期 again since not many people get the chance to play basketball again after the end," Edwards said. "This is the best 適切な時期 I could ask for and I thank coach for giving me this chance."

Edwards had been running the scout team for the Friars and knew her 職業 was to get the players better by 供給するing 弁護 and energy. That won't change with her playing again.

"I'm here to try and help them get better," she said.

One thing that will change for Edwards from her first game will be her number. She wore 35 against Columbia but will change to 99 for the 残りの人,物 of the season.

"This year you can 選ぶ any number you 手配中の,お尋ね者 and I was born in 99 so I was like, why not?" Edwards said "My mom was like, I love it."

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AP women´s college basketball: https://apnews.com/中心/ap-最高の,を越す-25-womens-college-basketball-投票 and https://apnews.com/中心/womens-college-basketball

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