When Providence women's basketball suffered several injuries, they turned to familiar face
PROVIDENCE — Laryn Edwards is making the most of an unexpected second chance.
She’s back in uniform with Providence College after spending a year on the bench as a graduate assistant. Her college basketball career looked finished after four seasons at Loyola (MD) from 2018-22, as the Pennsylvania native transitioned to a 2022-23 stint on staff with the Friars.
Fast-forward to Wednesday morning against DePaul. Edwards made her seventh consecutive start and ninth appearance overall after being officially activated on Nov. 28. Providence clipped the Blue Demons, 72-65, to secure a first 2-0 start in Big East play since 1999-2000.
More: Here's how Providence women's basketball got off to its best league start in over 20 years
“Not many people get the opportunity to play again, especially taking a year off,” Edwards said. “I’m taking this opportunity and taking it to a different level than what I played before.”
Edwards is one semester away from completing a two-year MBA program in management. She already has an undergraduate degree from Loyola in international business and certificates in analytics and sports management. Furthering that professional side was the plan when Edwards came to the Friars under former coach Jim Crowley and continued when Erin Batth was hired off the Michigan staff in March.
Things changed when Providence suffered a handful of backcourt injuries. Edwards traded a practice jersey for the real thing, making her season and program debut on Nov. 29 at Columbia. She made a first start in a Dec. 6 win against the University of Rhode Island at Alumni Hall and figures to retain her place in the lineup when the Friars host St. John’s for a 6 p.m. tip on Saturday.
“We joke about it,” Batth said. “But Laryn’s great. Just getting it to the point to become something real, that’s huge.”
Edwards still had a blanket COVID-19 waiver to cash in for a fifth season, and Providence’s compliance department confirmed her eligibility with the NCAA. She’s operating as a pass-first point guard, with just 4.2 points per game, but less than three turnovers per 40 minutes. That ball security is paramount at the moment for the Friars, who committed 25 turnovers while surviving a tense stretch run against DePaul.
“We’d been playing with her in practice before she was on the team,” Providence forward Olivia Olsen said. “We were kind of used to her.”
Edwards made 41 starts in her 65 appearances with the Greyhounds. She was a standout track and field athlete in high school who stayed in playing shape both at practice with Providence and on her own time. Edwards was a plus-9 with four assists against the Blue Demons, and her second field goal was on a running layup that beat the buzzer in the third quarter.
“I had a point guard with experience,” Batth said. “It’s something I can’t coach. It’s been a lot of fun to watch her go.”
Batth was forced to get creative when the Friars grew thin at the guard spots. Per a school statement on Friday, junior captain Kylee Sheppard will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season while dealing with an undisclosed injury. Grace Efosa (left hand), Sahana Kanagasabay (knee), Kammie Ludwig and Audrey Koch also missed the matchup with DePaul, and only Efosa has a short-term timeline to return.
“It took me a little bit, but I got into my flow,” Edwards said. “It wasn’t like I took a full year off. It was good.”
Providence hosts the Red Storm at 8-7 overall and 5-2 in its last seven games. The Friars won at Seton Hall for the first time since 2011 and snapped a 23-game losing streak against the Blue Demons. It’s an encouraging start in Batth’s first season, and part of the credit goes to a veteran player who would have been considered an unlikely source.
“I’m trying to take this team somewhere they’ve never been before, and it’s my first year doing it,” Batth said. “The relationship piece is everything. That’s what I’m selling, too.
“They've got to know I care — that we care about them. This is what we want, and they can do it.”
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Laryn Edwards leaves coaching ranks to play for Providence basketball
