In her two years in the WNBA to this point, Edwards said she has already seen a change in how coaches and athletes alike handle the conversation of sleep. “People are starting to understand that rest isn’t the opposite of hard work, it’s part of it. The more we learn about performance, the more we realize that pushing through exhaustion isn’t always the best approach. Recovery is a tool that helps you perform at your highest level,” she noted. Beyond the positive impacts that sleep
has on general well-being, understanding recovery is especially important for women’s basketball, Osei remarked. “(Women are) disproportionately at a higher percentage of risking injury because of our menstrual cycles, because of how we grow, and how we physically mature, and also because of our biomechanics,” she said. “There’s less conversation and resources going to women in sports and girls in sports, so hopefully, this ongoing conversation (surrounding recovery) can acknowledge that and put more resources towards our young girls.” Edwards shared these same hopes for
increased awareness and conversation surrounding women athletes’ wellbeing. “I think we’re moving in the right direction. As women’s basketball continues to grow, there’s more awareness around what athletes need to perform and stay healthy. Recovery deserves to be part of that conversation because it impacts everything — performance, longevity, and overall wellness,” she mentioned. Edwards is one of three WNBA Endy Sleep ambassadors, along with Toronto Tempo’s Kia Nurse, and Golden State Valkyries’ Laeticia Amihere.
WNBA, sleep recovery, Edwards, women’s basketball, Kia Nurse, Laeticia Amihere, Toronto Tempo, Golden State Valkyries, Endy Sleep ambassadors, injury risk, menstrual cycles