Extolled as one of the greatest players to set foot on Stegeman Coliseum’s floor, Teresa Edwards will now be enshrined in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2009.

Edwards was a member of an astonishing five women’s U.S. Olympic Basketball teams (1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000), the most of any player in the history of U.S. Olympic basketball, male or female.

“That’s always been the highest you can go in women’s basketball,” Edwards said. “For me it’s one of the biggest honors that I could get.”

Edwards and her teams won the gold medal at four of the five games she played in, taking bronze in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. All four teams that won gold medals went undefeated, and Edwards ended her illustrious career with a 31-1 record at the Olympic Games.

Edwards was named the USA Basketball Player of the Year in 1996. Although Edwards appeared in five Olympic Games, the experience never got old for the former Georgia star.

“If I hadn’t have gotten too old I think I would have done five more,” she said. “It was always an honor for me and it was always about being the best out there as an individual and just being so competitive and constantly challenging myself to be competitive at something I loved.”

Edwards will enter the Hall with a pretty impressive class, including the 1992 men’s Dream Team, sprinter Michael Johnson, track athlete Willye White and skier Picabo Street, just to name a few.

“I’m pretty excited to go in with an incredible class of people,” Edwards said. “Michael Johnson, Willye White, Picabo Street and the Dream Team with Magic [Johnson], [Larry] Bird and I’m really excited looking back. I feel like I’ve really done something right now.”

Edwards said the memories from her first Olympics are hard to top, but to be able to play in the Atlanta Olympics, near Athens and her hometown of Cairo, was her best Olympic experience.

“Atlanta was the actual best [Olympics] and you couldn’t have asked for a better situation for an individual as myself,” Edwards said. “It doesn’t get better than ending up undefeated and winning the Olympics here at home with my family so near and dear, it was awesome and you can’t top it.”

While at Georgia, Edwards led the Lady Bulldogs to three Southeastern Conference Championships and two Final Fours. She was a two-time All-American in Athens, and is one of only three Georgia Lady Bulldogs to have their numbers retired.

“She has truly been a great ambassador for everyone,” said Georgia coach Andy Landers.