Baylor women’s basketball forward Dre’Una Edwards has called out Kentucky coach Kyra Elzy in a social media post, claiming her former coach is the reason she cannot play for the Bears this season.
Because Edwards transferred once previously, from Utah to Kentucky following her freshman season, the redshirt senior was not immediately eligible to play for Baylor. In order to play this season, she needed to get her previous coach to sign off on a “No Participation Opportunity Form.”
In her social media post, Edwards called the form a “waiver” and said Elzy had refused to sign it.
#FreeDree pic.twitter.com/fRhfg4mo8J
— Dre'una Edwards (@DreeEdwards44) January 5, 2023
“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,” she wrote. “But instead, they will not sign the waiver.”
Elzy responded to the post claiming Edwards knew she wouldn’t have immediate eligibility if she transferred.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
As Elzy references, Edwards would have been eligible if she had graduated from Kentucky and started her time at Baylor as a grad transfer.
Edwards played two seasons at Kentucky. In 2022, she averaged 16.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, helping her team earn a spot in the NCAA tournament.
In her post, Edwards states that she wore the Kentucky uniform “with pride” but wanted a change. She said she understood that since this was her second transfer, she wouldn’t be eligible to play right away unless Kentucky signed off, but hoped the program would do so.
“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,” Baylor coach Nicki Collen told reporters Thursday. “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.”
