Dre'una Edwards' unlikely path to becoming a Kentucky legend
There isn’t a better under(cat) story than that of Dre’una Edwards.
In Kentucky’s 64-62 win over South Carolina in the SEC Tournament championship game on Sunday, Edwards recorded 27 points and nine rebounds while shooting 11-21 from the field and 3-5 from beyond the arc. More importantly, Edwards drilled the game-winning shot with four seconds remaining in the contest to secure the conference crown.
Edwards believed in herself
While viewers were on the edge of their seats as they watched Edwards’ game-winning 3-pointer fly through the air, Kentucky’s 6-foot-2 junior forward was calm.
“I knew I was going to hit the shot. I just had to let it fly,” Edwards said.
Head coach Kyra Elzy was equally faithful in Edwards’ shot.
“I told Dre, if they go with Rhyne (Howard) and you are open, take the shot,” Elzy said during Sunday’s postgame press conference. “When the shot went up, I knew it was good. It looked good. I started running down the sidelines.”
From the valley to the peak
Edwards’ confidence is earned. The redshirt junior has been through unimaginable adversity this season. On Dec. 9, 2021, Edwards missed a vital contest against DePaul due to failing to uphold the team’s academic standards. Kentucky lost the game 94-85.
Just 42 days later, disaster struck again for Edwards. Kentucky suspended their leading rebounder for disciplinary reasons. However, Edwards’ punishment wasn’t as short-lived as before. The suspension lasted for four games, three of which Kentucky lost.
After Kentucky’s thrilling win on Sunday, Edwards acknowledged her rocky path to success.
“It means a lot. [Coach Elzy and I] had bumped heads a little bit. We had some up-and-downs for sure. Stay poised, do what I gotta do, and my team held it down, and they was fighting all the way. So I knew when I got back, I had to fight too,” Edwards said.
Edwards undoubtedly fought. The Compton, CA native averaged 16.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in the SEC Tournament. As a result, the media named Edwards a member of the All-SEC Tournament team.
Perhaps nobody was more thrilled for Edwards than Elzy.
“I am so proud of Dre. We did hit heads early on, but she came back a better person, a better player, and committed to what we needed to get done in Kentucky Women’s Basketball, and she has helped this program move forward,” Elzy said.
Edwards reflects on the moment
Edwards let out months of pent-up emotion immediately following her clutch shot. As tears rolled down her face, she explained what the moment meant to her and her team.
“We’ve been battling all year, we’ve been through adversity and we turned it up,” Edwards said.
Obstacles are nothing to Edwards. In reality, she welcomes them. For that reason, Edwards will always be known as the Kentucky legend who hit the shot to bring home the SEC crown for the first time in 40 years. And frankly, there’s nobody more deserving.
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