Why is Laila Edwards, one of the top young forwards in the world, playing defense?

The 21-year-old first made headlines when she became the first Black woman to play for the U.S. senior women’s national team in November 2023. At worlds in Utica, N.Y., last year, she scored a tournament-leading six goals in seven games. This season, as a junior at the top-ranked University of Wisconsin, Edwards led the NCAA in scoring and was a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the best women’s hockey player in college hockey.