Jen Edwards said she always wanted to play in Winnipeg. Now she'll get the chance to play for Winnipeg.
Edwards, one of the top high school basketball players in the province, is the newest member of the 2025 Winnipeg Wesmen recruiting class.
A standout guard with the provincial champion Vincent Massey Trojans, Edwards has committed to head coach Alyssa Cox and joins a talented local class that already includes Maples' Avneet Kainth and Miles Macdonell's Eliana Stark.
She will have five years of eligibility and enroll in the Faculty of Business.
Edwards was ranked No. 3 in the annual Winnipeg Free Press coaches poll released last month and was named a tournament all-star at AAAA provincials in helping the Trojans to their first provincial title since 2013-14.
Now she is happy to have the recruiting process in the rear-view mirror with a chance to turn her focus to playing in front of her friends and family in her hometown.
"I was talking to a couple other schools, but obviously I always wanted to play in Winnipeg, your home," Edwards said, "and the Wesmen were always my first choice for staying home."
A dynamic guard with quickness, range and disruptive on-ball defensive ability, Edwards will have the chance to be a versatile presence in the Wesmen backcourt for years to come.
"I'm definitely hard working. I've put in a lot of effort, I feel like, into getting to the next level and this whole Grade 12 season," she said. "I'm definitely someone looking to make her teammates better, as well as herself."
Edwards first picked up a ball and got into the game when she was eight years old and said her commitment to the game bloomed in her Grade 9 year when she first made the Manitoba provincial team. And she had a support system around her encouraging to take it as far as she can.
"It was was really just the people around me encouraging me and saying that I could pursue this to the next level," she said. "Their support really helped me find that I really love doing this and wanted to keep going."
Cox is happy to add Edwards' well-rounded game to the roster in 2025.
"Jen is a smart, skilled guard that will contribute for us right away," Cox said. "Her ability to see the floor and read her teammates will make her an excellent facilitator at the next level. She brings lots of creativity to her offensive game and can defend with pressure in the full court. We are looking forward to seeing what she adds to our team next season."