Jamaica’s best female basketball player, Simone Edwards, is dead

Edwards, 49, died today at her Florida home following a long battle with ovarian cancer.

The 6’4” athlete was the first Jamaican to play in the WNBA after being signed by the Seattle Storm in 2000. The towering centre, who tried basketball for the first time after leaving high school in Jamaica, played six seasons for the Storm, winning the WNBA championship in 2004.

In 2006 Edwards, nicknamed the Jamaican Hurricane, announced her retirement from the sport, ending her career as the Storm’s all-time leader in rebounds, games and minutes played.

“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,” the Seattle Storm stated in a tweet on its official Twitter account.

Following her retirement, Edwards went into coaching and steered her country to the 2014 Caribbean Women’s basketball championship. In 2017 she was conferred with the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican Government, the sixth highest national honour.

Sport Minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange says the country has “lost a super athlete” who was arguably “Jamaica's best female basketball player of all time”.

“It is with shock and sadness that I learnt a short while ago of the death of Simone Edwards who was perhaps Jamaica's best female basketball player of all time. Simone certainly made her name internationally playing in the WNBA in the United States

“Jamaica and the basketball fraternity have lost a super athlete with the passing of Simone and I extend sincerest condolences to her family, relatives, former team members and friends. Rest in peace Simone,” Grange shared on Twitter.