Zia Cooke

Zia Cooke (born January 9, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. 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.

Zia Cooke
Cooke with South Carolina in 2021
No. 1 – Los Angeles Sparks
PositionPoint guard
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (2001-01-09) January 9, 2001
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Listed weight163 lb (74 kg)
Career information
High schoolRogers (Toledo, Ohio)
CollegeSouth Carolina (2019–2023)
WNBA draft2023: 1st round, 10th overall pick
Selected by the Los Angeles Sparks
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA Under-17 World Cup
Gold medal – first place2018 BelarusTeam
FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship
Gold medal – first place2017 ArgentinaTeam

Early life and high school career

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]

Recruiting

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

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]

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.[17][18] She has also signed name, image and likeness deals with Dick's Sporting Goods and Bojangles.[17]

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. 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.
  18. 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.
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