PWHL San Jose Drafts Laila Edwards No. 4 After 45-Point Wisconsin Season

Q: Can a star like Laila Edwards help professional women's hockey finally capture a diverse, mainstream audience?

Yes — but only if the PWHL turns her star power into sustained visibility, access and storytelling. Edwards arrives with the profile leagues hope for: she is an Olympic gold medalist, a three-time NCAA champion, a former world championship MVP and now the highest-drafted Black woman in PWHL history. In a sport that has long struggled with representation, that matters. Edwards has already broken barriers as the first Black woman to play for the U.S. women’s team and the first Black woman to win Olympic gold in women’s hockey. That gives the league a credible chance to reach fans who have not traditionally seen themselves in hockey. The timing also helps. The PWHL is not starting from zero. The league topped 1.1 million regular-season attendees in 2025-26, averaged more than 9,300 fans per game, expanded to 12 teams, and saw major jumps in digital viewership, merchandise sales and sponsorships. Women’s sports overall are also growing fast, with younger, more diverse and highly digital audiences driving demand. San Jose may be an especially strong landing spot. The Bay Area has shown major support for women’s sports, and California gives the PWHL a foothold in a broader, more diverse market than traditional hockey centers alone. Still, one player is not enough. Mainstream reach will depend on national broadcasts, smart marketing, community programs, youth access and making Edwards visible beyond hockey media. A star can open the door. A league has to build the house.

3 articles · Updated · thepwhl.com · Jun 17

Fourth overall pick Laila Edwards went to PWHL San Jose in the first round of the 2026 draft in Detroit, giving the expansion club a high-profile defender.
Edwards, 22, comes off a 45-point season at Wisconsin and helped the Badgers win three national championships during her college career.
Her résumé also includes 199 points in 151 NCAA games, a 71-point junior season and All-WCHA honors across multiple years.
Internationally, the U.S. Olympian won 2026 gold in Milan Cortina and was the 2024 Women’s Worlds MVP at age 20, underscoring why San Jose used a top-4 pick on her.