‘The next step is where we are now.’ Ex-Cat says UK blocking eligibility at new school.

Former University of Kentucky basketball player Dre’una Edwards, who transferred to Baylor after last season, accused UK Coach Kyra Elzy in a Twitter post on Thursday of refusing to sign an eligibility waiver that would allow the forward to play at her new school.

When contacted by the Herald-Leader, Elzy released a statement saying Edwards misread the situation. Baylor head coach Nicki Collen also weighed in Thursday, saying Edwards’ circumstances are unique but did not assess blame.

Edwards was best known during her two seasons at Kentucky for making the game-winning shot in last year’s Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game victory over No. 1-ranked and eventual national champion South Carolina, giving the Wildcats their first tourney title in 40 years.

One week after Kentucky was eliminated by Princeton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last March, Edwards and two other UK starters — Treasure Hunt and Jazmine Massengill — announced plans to transfer.

In April, Baylor announced Edwards’ signing with the Lady Bears. Fourteen games into the 2022-23 season, Edwards has yet to play for 23rd-ranked Baylor (11-3) due to eligibility issues.

“Entering the portal,” Edwards said in her Twitter statement Thursday, “I knew that I would not be eligible right away because this is my second transfer. The NCAA has other rules in place that could help me see the floor this year with Baylor if I met the requirements and Kentucky would allow me to play.”

Edwards, who transferred to UK from Utah in 2019, sat out the 2019-20 season due to NCAA transfer rules in effect at the time. She also spent that time recovering from an ACL injury.

Over the following two seasons with the Wildcats, she played in 53 games with 23 starts. Last season, she was UK’s second-leading scorer with 16.8 points per game on 52.1 percent shooting from the field.

“I was hopeful Kentucky would sign off to let me compete this season, as they have told me before that they hope nothing but the best for me,” Edwards’ Twitter post continued. “But instead, they will not sign the waiver.”

Elzy’s statement described the waiver form differently than Edwards seemed to understand it.

“We were asked by Baylor to sign an NCAA No Participation Opportunity form, certifying that Dre’una Edwards would not have had an opportunity to participate if she had stayed at Kentucky,” Elzy said. “That would not have been correct; Dre’una would have had the opportunity to participate if she had stayed. Dre’una transferred with the understanding that she would have to sit out unless she graduated, which she did not do.”

In her Twitter statement, Edwards discussed her academic progress since transferring to Baylor.

“My first requirement was to make sure I was eligible academically by making sure I am continuing progress towards my degree,” Edwards said. “I didn’t qualify as a grad transfer, but I have been working extremely hard in the classroom and I was able to rally 33 credit hours in the last six months, ending the fall semester with a 3.6 GPA and a spot on the Big 12 All-Academic Team.”

Baylor women’s basketball hosted a media availability Thursday afternoon in which Collen addressed Edwards’ status.

In response to being asked if this was a credits issue, or just a waiver needed from Kentucky, Collen said, “It was multilayered up until now. I think what people need to understand is, there’s a one-time transfer exception. She doesn’t qualify for that; she’s a two-time transfer. And she doesn’t qualify as a grad transfer because she didn’t graduate. And so, she needs a waiver to play from Kentucky. She met her Progress Towards Degree requirements by taking all the credits she took here. So she checked off the academic piece of this. But, you know, there are no guarantees.”

During Thursday’s media availability, Edwards voiced her appreciation for the support she’s received from the Baylor community and detailed the next steps.

“Honestly, everybody has been so supportive and I really appreciate it,” Edwards said. “The next step is where we are now. We just hope that they sign it, but if they don’t I just continue to be a positive light and a positive energy for my team. Continue to be a leader on the court, off the court, in the classroom, on campus, just around.”

This story was originally published January 5, 2023 at 8:20 PM.