Zia Cooke

Last updated
Zia Cooke
Zia Cooke 2021 (cropped).jpg
Cooke with South Carolina in 2021
No. 0–Townsville Fire
Position Point guard
League WNBL
Personal information
Born (2001-01-09) January 9, 2001 (age 23)
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Listed weight163 lb (74 kg)
Career information
High school Rogers (Toledo, Ohio)
College South Carolina (2019–2023)
WNBA draft 2023: 1st round, 10th overall pick
Selected by the Los Angeles Sparks
Playing career2023–present
Career history
2023–present Los Angeles Sparks
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball Reference  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the Flag of the United States.svg  United States
FIBA Under-17 World Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Belarus Team
FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2017 Argentina Team

Zia Cooke (born January 9, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA and for the Townsville Fire of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She played in college for South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). At Rogers High School in Toledo, Ohio, she was rated a five-star recruit by ESPN and earned McDonald's All-American honors. A two-time All-SEC selection in college, Cooke helped South Carolina reach the Final Four of the NCAA tournaments in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Contents

Early life

Cooke grew up playing for a boys youth football team in defiance of her mother, Michelle, who wanted her to join a cheerleading team instead. In seventh grade, she shifted her focus to basketball. [1] Cooke played basketball for Rogers High School in her hometown of Toledo, Ohio. She averaged 21.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, five assists and 3.1 steals per game as a junior. She led her team to the Division II state title, recording 33 points and 14 rebounds in the title game, and was named The Blade Player of the Year. [2] In her senior season, her highlight video drew national attention. [3] As a senior, Cooke averaged 21.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, winning a second straight state title. She earned Division II Player of the Year honors and repeated as The Blade Player of the Year. [4] Cooke was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game. [5] In high school, she also played softball and soccer, and ran track and cross country. [6]

Cooke was rated a five-star recruit and among the top players in the 2019 class by ESPN. On November 5, 2018, she committed to playing college basketball for South Carolina over offers from more than 60 college programs, including Ohio State, Texas, Louisville, Tennessee and Mississippi State. [7]

College career

Cooke with South Carolina in 2019 Zia Cooke 2019 (cropped).jpg
Cooke with South Carolina in 2019

On November 13, 2019, Cooke scored a freshman season-high 27 points with seven rebounds for South Carolina in a 75–49 win against Dayton. [8] She averaged 12.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game as a freshman, helping her team achieve a 32–1 record and a No. 1 national ranking. [9] Cooke set a program record for games started by a freshman (33), and was selected to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman Team. [10] On December 31, 2020, she recorded a sophomore season-high 26 points in a 75–59 victory over Florida. [11] On April 2, 2021, at the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, Cooke scored a team-high 25 points in a 66–65 loss to Stanford. [12] As a sophomore, she averaged 15.9 points, three rebounds and two assists per game, receiving First Team All-SEC honors. [13] In her junior season, Cooke was named to the Second Team All-SEC. [14]

National team career

Cooke represented the United States at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Argentina. She led her team to the gold medal, averaging 10.8 points per game. She recorded 15 points and four rebounds against Canada in the final. [15] Cooke won her second gold medal at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Belarus, after averaging 7.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. [16]

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
*Denotes season(s) in which Cooke won an NCAA Championship

WNBA

Regular season

Stats current through end of 2024 season

WNBA regular season statistics [17]
YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2023 Los Angeles 39414.1.289.261.8130.90.80.30.30.74.8
2024 Los Angeles 2908.9.321.297.6900.60.60.30.10.73.6
Career2 years, 1 team68411.9.300.274.7660.80.70.30.20.74.3

College

NCAA statistics [18]
YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2019–20 South Carolina 333326.538.635.471.22.91.81.10.21.812.0
2020–21 South Carolina 313132.139.039.377.23.02.00.90.02.515.9
2021–22* South Carolina 363627.134.228.770.52.11.70.60.12.110.7
2022–23 South Carolina 373726.740.534.679.22.11.90.80.11.815.4
Career13713728.038.234.175.12.51.90.90.12.013.5

Off the court

As a junior in college, Cooke, along with Caitlin Clark, signed a sponsorship deal with H&R Block as the first two participants in the company's "A Fair Shot" campaign to provide $1 million in support for female college athletes. [19] [20] She has also signed name, image and likeness deals with Dick's Sporting Goods and Bojangles. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dawn Staley</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1970)

Dawn Michelle Staley is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team. A point guard, she played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers and spent eight seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), primarily with the Charlotte Sting. Staley also played on the United States women's national basketball team, winning three gold medals at the Olympic Games from 1996 to 2004, and was the head coach of the team that won an Olympic gold medal in 2021. She is the first person to win the Naismith Award as both a player and a coach.

Susan Walvius is a businesswoman and entrepreneur. She is the co-founder and current co-CEO of SHEEX, Inc., a bed linen company specializing in sheets and pillowcases constructed from advanced athletic-performance fabrics. She is also a former head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of South Carolina. Her best success came in the 2001 and 2002 seasons, where she went 25–7 and 23–8 respectively. In those two seasons, the Gamecocks went 19–9 in Southeastern Conference play. The 2002 team made it to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. On April 14, 2008, Walvius announced her resignation from South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sindarius Thornwell</span> American basketball player (born 1994)

Sindarius Thornwell is an American professional basketball player for Zastal Zielona Góra of the Polish Basketball League (PLK). He played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Thornwell was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 48th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft before he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A'ja Wilson</span> American basketball player (born 1996)

A'ja Riyadh Wilson is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiffany Mitchell (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1994)

Tiffany Mitchell is an American professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She also currently plays for the Galatasaray of the Eurocup and Turkish Basketball Leagues. Mitchell played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks, where she was a two-time SEC Player of the Year. After concluding her collegiate career, she was selected ninth overall in the 2016 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever. During the WNBA off-seasons, Mitchell has played overseas in Russia, Turkey, Israel and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allisha Gray</span> American basketball player (born 1995)

Allisha Gray is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Elitzur Ramla of Israel. She won a gold medal in women's 3x3 basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhyne Howard</span> American basketball player (born 2000)

Rhyne Howard is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. She graduated from Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tennessee, in 2018. She was drafted first overall by the Dream in the 2022 WNBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikiah Herbert Harrigan</span> British basketball player (born 1998)

Mikiah "Kiki" Herbert Harrigan is a British basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for CB Avenida of the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto. She played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aliyah Boston</span> American basketball player (born 2001)

Aliyah Boston is an American professional basketball power forward and center for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was named 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year in a unanimous vote and the AP Rookie of the Year. She played college basketball at the University of South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2021–22 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Gamecocks were led by 14th-year head coach Dawn Staley and played their home games at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. They competed as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They finished the season 35–2, 15–1 in SEC play, to win the regular season championship. They defeated Arkansas and Ole Miss to advance to the championship of the SEC tournament where they lost to Kentucky. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Greensboro region. They defeated Howard, Miami, North Carolina, Creighton and Louisville to advance to the championship game. There they defeated UConn for the team's second-ever national title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Destanni Henderson</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Destanni Mone Henderson is an American professional basketball player for Danilo's Pizza of the Turkish Super League. She previously played for the Indiana Fever, Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, and Atlanta Dream in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Henderson played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks, helping her team win the national championship and earning first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors as a senior. At Fort Myers Senior High School, she won three straight state titles, was a McDonald's All-American selection and was rated as the number one point guard in her class by ESPN. Henderson competes for the United States national team and won a gold medal at the 2021 FIBA AmeriCup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brea Beal</span> American basketball player

Breanna Beal is an American basketball player who is a free agent. She played college basketball at South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rickea Jackson</span> American basketball player (born 2001)

Rickea Velece Jackson is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball at Tennessee and Mississippi State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Freshies (basketball)</span> Womens basketball recruiting class

The Freshies were the 2019 recruiting class of the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball program. They were the number one recruiting class of the 2019–20 NCAA Division I season and played together until 2023. Developed under head coach Dawn Staley, they helped South Carolina win the 2022 national championship and reach the Final Four in all three NCAA tournaments they competed in. The class also won four Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular season titles and three SEC tournament titles, finishing with a 129–9 record over four years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victaria Saxton</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Victaria Saxton is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. She was drafted in the third round of the 2023 WNBA Draft by the Fever. She played college basketball at South Carolina, where she won a national championship during the 2021–22 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raven Johnson</span> American basketball player

Raven Johnson is an American college basketball player for the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamilla Cardoso</span> Brazilian basketball player (born 2001)

Kamilla Soares Cardoso is a Brazilian professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball at South Carolina and Syracuse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloe Kitts</span> American basketball player

Chloe Kitts is an American college basketball player for the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bree Hall</span> American basketball player

Aubryanna "Bree" Hall is an American college basketball player for the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

LaDazhia Williams is an American basketball player for Saint-Amand Hainaut Basket of the Ligue Féminine de Basketball in France. She previously played for Hapoel Petah Tikva of the Israeli Female Basketball Premier League in Israel, before evacuating due to the Israel–Hamas war. She played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks, the Missouri Tigers and the LSU Tigers.

References

  1. ↑ Cloninger, David (January 8, 2020). "Dawn Staley's freshman star developed her basketball skills on the football field". The Post and Courier . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  2. ↑ Junga, Steve (March 24, 2018). "Talent, relentless work keys to Cooke's success". The Blade . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  3. ↑ Sodergren, Andrew (December 28, 2018). "Naples Holiday Shootout: Zia Cooke drawing attention from Chance the Rapper, NBA stars". Naples Daily News . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  4. ↑ Bastock, Ashley (March 23, 2019). "Winning encore: Rogers' Cooke repeats as All-Blade girls player of the year". The Blade . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  5. ↑ Bastock, Ashley (March 27, 2019). "Toledo's Cooke helps East win McDonald's All-American Game". The Blade . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  6. ↑ Villa, Walter (June 15, 2017). "Golden and gloved, Zia Cooke earns glowing reviews in recruiting circles and beyond". ESPN . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  7. ↑ Junga, Steve (November 5, 2018). "Rogers star Zia Cooke commits to South Carolina". The Blade . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  8. ↑ Hadley, Greg (January 17, 2020). "One simple change has Gamecock freshman Zia Cooke 'back to her explosive self'". The State . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Toledo's Zia Cooke featured in Sports Illustrated". The Blade . November 24, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  10. ↑ Johnson, Autumn (September 23, 2020). "South Carolina's young talent looks to take care of unfinished business". NCAA.com. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  11. ↑ "College basketball: Cooke scores 26 points in South Carolina victory". The Blade . Associated Press. December 31, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Cooke scores 25 in South Carolina's close Women's Final Four loss". The Blade . April 2, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Cooke Named a Finalist for Ann Meyers Drysdale Award". University of South Carolina Athletics. March 2, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  14. ↑ Stone, Augusta (March 1, 2022). "Aliyah Boston, USC dominate SEC awards. Dawn Staley named Coach of the Year". The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  15. ↑ Junga, Steve (June 25, 2017). "Hoop dreams coming true for Cooke". The Blade . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Cooke helps Americans to FIBA U-17 Women's World Cup title". The Blade . July 29, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Zia Cooke WNBA Stats". Basketball Reference.
  18. ↑ "Zia Cooke Stats". Sports-Reference . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  19. 1 2 Casey, Tim (March 1, 2022). "H&R Block Signs Two Women's Basketball Players To NIL Deals, Eyes Pacts With Other Female College Athletes". Forbes . Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  20. ↑ Voepel, Mechelle (March 1, 2022). "Caitlin Clark, Zia Cooke headline $1 million NIL initiative targeting inequities for women college athletes". ESPN . Retrieved March 6, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.