Tonya Edwards

Tonya Edwards (born March 13, 1968 in Flint, Michigan) is a former professional basketball player and is currently a college coach.

Professional career

After graduating from college, there were no opportunities to play professional basketball in the United States, so Edwards played professionally in Spain from 1991–1992, Turkey in 1994, and Israel from 1995-1996. 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. She also played for the Phoenix Mercury and Charlotte Sting.

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.

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.

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.

Vital statistics

• Position: Guard
• Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
• College: University of Tennessee
• Team(s): Minnesota Lynx (1999)
  Phoenix Mercury (2000–2001)
  Charlotte Sting (2002)

Sources

• WNBA Player Profile
• September 11, 2006 press release on Edwards joining the University of Detroit Mercy coaching staff
• Profile from the Greater Flint Afro-American Hall of Fame