Simone Edwards
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Simone Ann-Marie Edwards (born November 17, 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a female basketball player who played for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The 6'4" Edwards center is known to fans as the "Jamaican Hurricane."
Like some other Caribbean-born players such as Tim Duncan, Edwards did not play basketball in high school. She came to a United States track meet, where she was spotted by a University of Iowa basketball scout. In 1996-97, she led the Hawkeyes in field-goal percentage (.557) during her senior season.
Edwards was drafted as a developmental player by the New York Liberty in 1997, but never saw a game until signing on with the newly inaugurated Storm in 2000. She was the only player to be a part of the team for every game of its first six seasons, and became a KeyArena fan favorite for her ebullient personality and cheerleading when not in the game.
On May 19, 2006, just prior to the start of the 2006 WNBA season, Edwards announced her retirement from the WNBA, severing the last on-court link with the Storm's debut season. She retired as the team's all-time leader in rebounds, and games and minutes played.
Edwards also plays in Europe and Israel, and speaks fluent Hebrew. She continues to play for the Jamaican national team, the host team for the 2006 World Championships.
