Jodee Brown
The first Jamaican woman to play in the WNBA and former coach of Jamaica’s women’s basketball team, Simone Edwards, is dead.
Edwards passed away on Thursday at the tender age of 49 after battling stage 3 ovarian cancer. The WNBA confirmed the news on social media while former teammates and contemporaries offered their condolences to her family.
We are saddened by the passing of our very own Simone Edwards.
Our Jamaican Hurricane was a warrior on & off the court. With her indefatigable energy & optimism, she brought happiness to so many.
Our thoughts & condolences are with Simone’s family and loved ones at this time. pic.twitter.com/fJPvDe1ydL
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) February 17, 2023
A Kingston Technical alum, Edwards never played basketball in high school but was encouraged to play by an American college basketball coach who spotted her at a Jamaican track meet. She honed her craft in junior college before playing for the University of Iowa.
The New York Liberty then picked Edwards out of a tryout camp in 1997, making her one of their developmental players, though she never suited up for the team. In 2000, the Seattle Storm selected Edwards in their expansion draft, playing six seasons for the team and winning the WNBA championship in 2004. During her stay in Seattle, the “Jamaican Hurricane” averaged 5.3 points and 3.5 rebounds a game, mostly playing a key role off the bench.
During her WNBA career, Edwards also played professionally across Europe before retiring in 2007. She later became an assistant coach at Radford University and George Brown University before becoming Jamaica’s senior women’s national team boss, leading them to the Caribbean Championship.
R.I.P. Simone Edwards (17 Nov 1973 – 16 Feb 2023), #Jamaican basketball player. Kingston Tech alum; first Caribbean player in WNBA; played for New York Liberty & Seattle Storm; 2004 won championship with Storm. 2014 coached, led Jamaica to Caribbean Championship. Our best ever. pic.twitter.com/4usZpvY7A9
— Wayne Chen (@wcchen) February 17, 2023
Simone Edwards later received the Order of Distinction in 2017 for her vast contributions to basketball. During her cancer battle, former teammates such as Sue Bird and Betty Lennox held fundraisers to help her fight against the disease.
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