Makira Cook

Last updated

Makira Cook
No. 3–Illinois Fighting Illini
Position Guard
League Big Ten Conference
Personal information
Born (2001-11-30) November 30, 2001 (age 23)
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Career information
High school Mount Notre Dame
(Reading, Ohio)
College
Career highlights and awards
  • WBIT tournament Most Outstanding Player (2024)
  • First-team All-Big Ten (2023)
  • Second-team All-Big Ten (2024)
  • Atlantic 10 Most Improved Player (2022)
  • Second-team All-Atlantic 10 (2022)

Makira Cook (born November 30, 2001) [1] [2] is an American college basketball player for the Illinois Fighting Illini of the Big Ten Conference. She previously played college basketball for the Dayton Flyers.

Contents

In 2024, Cook was named as the inaugural WBIT tournament's Most Outstanding Player. [3]

Early life

She is the daughter of Glynett Cunningham and William Cook. [2] As a young child, Cook's first organized sport was cheerleading, which she hated because she wanted to play basketball with the boys. She also participated in soccer, volleyball and softball. Having to choose between softball and basketball, she chose the latter. [1]

Cook played high school basketball for Mount Notre Dame High School in Cincinnati, Ohio where she was named First Team twice and Second Team twice. [4] Cook led the team to two state championships and three conference championships. [4] At the end of her high school career, Cook was considered a four-star recruit, ranked 95th in her class by ESPN. [5] She was also a four-year varsity letter winner. Cook committed to play college basketball for Dayton in 2019. [6]

College career

Dayton

In her sophomore season, Cook was named the A-10 Most Improved Player. [4] She was also named in the Second Team All-Conference. [4] Cook also earned All-Tournament team honors at A-10 Championships and named to 2021-22 A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll. [4]

Illinois

Before the start of her junior season, Cook transferred to the Illinois Fighting Illini. [7] In her junior season, Cook was named unanimous first team All-Big Ten by coaches and first team All-Big Ten by media. [8] She was the first Illini to earn first team honors by both the Big Ten coaches and media since Jenna Smith did so in 2010. [8] She was also an honorable mention All-American honoree by both the WBCA and the Associated Press. [8] Cook was second team All-Big Ten (coaches and media) in her senior season. [8]

In March 2024, it was announced that Cook would return for her fifth season in college basketball. [9]

In April 2024, Cook was named as the inaugural WBIT tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Cook's honor made her the first Illinois women's basketball player in program history to be named MVP in a postseason competition. [3]

As of November 2024, Cook had completed her bachelor's degree in community health and was working on a master's degree in business administration, with a goal of eventually owning a business that specializes in mentorship programs for youth. [1]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold Career best°League leader

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2020–21 Dayton 18117.538.126.559.12.41.60.40.10.96.2
2021–22 Dayton 312531.240.438.076.13.82.91.20.11.814.8
2022–23 Illinois 303033.941.434.286.63.44.21.20.12.418.3
2023–24 Illinois 313134.740.534.981.53.14.41.00.22.816.4
Career1108730.762.135.756.73.33.41.00.12.114.8
Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference. [10]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Pearson, Mike (November 30, 2024). "Illini Legends, Lists & Lore: Happy birthday, Makira Cook!". The News-Gazette. Champaign, Illinois. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "2024-25 Fighting Illini Women's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). fightingillini.com. University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. 2024. p. 31. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Illini Trio Named to WBIT All-Tournament Team, Cook Earns Most Outstanding Player Honors". fightingillini.com. University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. April 3, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Makira Cook". Dayton Flyers . Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Makira Cook". ESPN . Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  6. ↑ "2020 point guard commits to Dayton women's basketball program". Dayton Daily News . Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  7. ↑ Woodcock, Rees (April 4, 2022). "Illinois Basketball: Report has Illini landing former 4-star guard Makira Cook". Writing Illini. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Makira Cook". Illinois Fighting Illini . Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Makira Cook to return to Illinois women's basketball". Yahoo News. March 21, 2024. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Makira Cook College Stats". Sports-Reference . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
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