We are keeping our fingers crossed in the hope that we can return to a “normal” version of college basketball this fall: fans in the stands, announcers without masks, etc. Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen but we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. We continue our coverage with Rutgers assistant coach Michelle Edwards. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Edwards about being a Hall of Famer and her expectations for this season.
Your nickname is “Ice”: who gave you the nickname, and how do you like it? 1 of my mentors in Boston who was also my AAU coach (Alfreda Harris) gave it to me. A woman named Medina Dixon who later went to Old Dominion was the original “Ice”: she played a lot like George Gervin. She was older than me so when she left I inherited the nickname. I think it is cool: I never forgot what I needed to do because with that nickname you need to be able to deliver in key moments.
At Cathedral High School in Boston you became the 1st girl in Massachusetts history to score 2000+ PTS: what is the secret to being a great scorer? I wish there was a secret because I would bottle it up and sell it! I think it is just a God-given talent: great scorers have an “it” factor. You also need to work hard and have a community around you to support you when things are difficult. I had good teammates who did not mind passing me the ball.
1 of the college coaches who recruited you was a young assistant from Virginia: what do you recall about your 1st meeting with Geno Auriemma, and could you have ever imagined 4 decades later that he would become arguably the greatest coach in the history of the sport? I almost went to Virginia. I just remember Geno as this really handsome Italian guy: I think I spent more time talking basketball with then-head coach Debbie Ryan. I could not have forecasted all of his success but I am not surprised.
You played for Coach Vivian Stringer at Iowa and now work for her at Rutgers: what makes her such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? There are a few things but 1 that stands out is that the details matter. It is important to be honest with your players and build a certain level of trust: when you tell them the truth and they know that it is coming from a place of love they will not question you. You know she is in your corner even when she is being honest: sometimes it hurts. She is great at making in-game adjustments: when I joined her staff and saw how much is in her arsenal it is amazing. I still learn something new every day because she continues to give: it is special.
As a senior you had an upset win over top-ranked Texas: where does that rank among the greatest wins of your career? We were at a tourney in Miami and Texas was 1 of 5 teams ranked in the top-25. That upset was a memorable game but I remember a game in that tourney against Auburn even more. My double-digit scoring streak came to an end after I only scored 9 PTS but I had a bunch of AST/REB/STL. I was disappointed to not score more but still happy that we beat the Tigers: it taught me a great lesson that there are other ways to win besides scoring.
You played for Coach Stringer on team USA at the 1991 Pan Am Games: what did it mean to you to win a bronze medal, and what was it like to face a Brazilian team that included future Hall of Famers Paula/Hortencia/Janeth Arcain? I have had the pleasure/pain of facing a lot of great players from my era, be they American/Brazilian/other. In the moment I was just playing/trying to win, but looking back on it I recall it being a very physical game. Hortencia was a pistol and Janeth is a sweetheart: I later ended up playing against Janeth when we were in the WNBA.
In 2014 you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? I have been so blessed with a lot of amazing things that happened due to basketball. It definitely ranks in the top-5 but we also spent about 6 weeks as the #1 team in the country. Even though it did not end the way I wanted to, you have to take a pause when you are the very best of 300+ teams in the country.
You lost each of your top-5 scorers from last year (Arella Guirantes/Diamond Johnson/Tekia Mack/Zipporah Broughton/Mael Gilles): how on earth will you try to replace all of that offense/leadership? When you say it like that it sounds impossible! Those are some big shoes to fill but we bring back a lot of “froshmores” as well as 8 transfers: it makes for a nice combination of players who can do some special things. Instead of relying on just 1-2 players I see a lot of talent so we need to see who can grasp the concept of Rutgers basketball. It is quite different from what some of the ladies are used to. The froshmores came in as a top-10 class and have adapted to the process/expectation of what we need from them. When you come out of high school you think that you know how to work hard…and then in college you realize that it takes even more to get to the next level. I am excited to see it all come together.
Your non-conference schedule includes a trip to the Paradise Jam in November for 3 games in 3 days vs. DePaul/Vanderbilt/Arizona: how do you plan to get through that coaching gauntlet featuring Doug Bruno (made the postseason every single year since 2003)/Shea Ralph (won 7 titles as a player/assistant at UConn)/Adia Barnes (2021 NCAA tourney runner-up)? I am impressed with how we make in-game adjustments and our preparation is out of this world. Some of my colleagues on other teams do not go as much into depth as we do with film study: we have to be prepared/in-shape. If we can really hone in on what we are trying to accomplish then the sky is the limit. Those 3 programs are all great: Doug has been doing it forever, Adia is coming off of her best season, and Shea knows what it takes to win after winning at UConn. It will prepare us for March by making us battle-tested.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? The goal is to get back to defending because that is our calling card. Coach Stringer emphasizes the mental focus/commitment that is required: even if your shot is off 1 night you can always play defense. We want to move/share the ball and then knock down shots. The expectation is to always be your best team that day but we will take it 1 game at a time. If we put our best foot forward on both sides of the ball then we will be in a very good situation to win ball games.