Sometimes, all an athlete needs is a little perspective.
Take for instance, the tragic event that happened at Washington. On New Year’s Eve, sophomore starter Kayla Burt collapsed because of heart problems while waiting to celebrate, only to be saved by three of her Washington teammates.
“It really makes you think,” Oregon senior Alissa Edwards said. “You have to cherish everything you have. It’s career ending for (Burt), and your career could end like that. You need to play every moment to the greatest possible.”
Edwards has been playing like every game could be her last. A solid player on the court, the Hermiston native wastes no time diving on the floor for loose balls or mixing it up with opponents. That style of play has led to sprains, bruises and scratches that would keep most players out of the game. Yet, she’s managed to post a career-high 17 points against Stanford, and has shown the rest of the Pacific-10 Conference she is more than just an average player.
“I want to be the person that people say, ‘Look, she’s getting on the floor. We need to be getting on the floor,’” Edwards said. “Or like, ‘She’s going for the rebound, so we need to get rebounds, too.’”
“She’s absolutely been solid,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “She’s a rock for us. She’s been, for us, a quintessential leader.”
She’s a leader who has helped Oregon to a 2-4 record in Pac-10 play when it seemed in early January that the Ducks wouldn’t have enough firepower for two wins all season. And had the Ducks upset No. 6 Stanford last week, Edwards would’ve been one of the main reasons for it.
Not bad for a guard who never had a position she could call her own before the season.
As a freshman, Edwards toiled on former head coach Jody Runge’s bench, appearing in just seven games. As a sophomore, she saw increased playing time, appearing in 29 contests, starting eight.
And last season, Oregon’s first under Smith, the now 22-year-old started seven of the 35 games she played in.
A non-stop theme for Edwards was the fact that she could, and would, play at the point, shooting guard or even the small forward position.
“She’s always had the capability of being versatile,” Smith said, adding that it has been a major benefactor to Oregon’s well-being.
Entering the 2002-03 season, it seemed as though Edwards was set as the team’s shooting guard. But that turned out to be a premature assessment. Shaquala Williams’ dismissal from the team pushed Edwards to the point full-time.
“That really didn’t bother me,” Edwards said. “Moving to the point guard has been something that has always happened. That adjustment was not very hard at all.”
Edwards has seen the good and the bad at Oregon. From her freshman season, when playing time was at a premium, to the Runge coaching controversy and now the Williams full-time suspension, she has been in the thick of things.
But she has also been involved in some of the best things the Ducks have had to offer. From two NCAA Tournament appearances to a WNIT Championship last year, she has tasted success every season.
“Four years is a long time,” Edwards said. “We’ve had our good times all four years, and we’ve had bad times and a lot has happened. I think it has made both Kourtney (Shreve) and I grow as people and as basketball players. I’m just proud that I’ve stuck through it.”
Opposing coaches haven’t necessarily defended the Ducks’ offense differently with Edwards at the point instead of Williams. But they do understand the importance of Edwards’ play, much like Smith, and have given the guard recognition for her strong performances to this point.
“Her senior leadership is a great advantage for Oregon,” California head coach Caren Horstmeyer said. “She really helps to keep them settled.”
“She’s really come along a lot in the last four or five games and improved in (her) role,” said Oregon State head coach Judy Spoelstra, whose Beavers take on the Ducks on Saturday in the first installment of this season’s Civil War.
The Civil War marks a final moment for Edwards. It will be the final regular-season contest for the senior at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis. Edwards admitted she has begun to think about some of her “lasts” this season, but hasn’t really let it get to her.
“Kourtney and I talk a lot about it,” Edwards said. “Like we’re almost done. (But) you’ve got to look past ‘this being the last’ and focus on what’s coming up and not worry about what’s our last thing until it’s over.”
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