Zia Cooke a first-rounder for USC women’s basketball in 2023 WNBA Draft
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Zia Cooke has a WNBA home.
South Carolina’s starting shooting guard was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in Monday’s WNBA Draft, joining forward Aliyah Boston (No. 1, Indiana Fever) and forward Laeticia Amihere (No. 8, Atlanta Dream) as first-round picks.
Cooke’s selection gives USC a record-tying three first-round selections.
Widely considered a late first round or early second round pick, Cooke won the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award as the nation’s top shooting guard in 2022-23 after putting together a career season for USC.
The 5-foot-9 guard led USC’s 36-1 team in scoring with 15.4 points per game this season and set career highs in field goal percentage (40.5%) and free throwing shooting (79.2%).
Cooke, who had a team-high 24 points in South Carolina’s Final Four loss to Iowa earlier this month, scored in double figures in 103 of 137 career games for USC and had 23 games of 20-plus. She is the 16th all-time USC player drafted into the WNBA and 12th under Staley.
@zia_cooke meet your dream baby! Love you!!!!
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) April 11, 2023
With the 10th pick in the 2023 #WNBADraft, the @LASparks select @zia_cooke of @GamecockWBB pic.twitter.com/FAsigJOxWz
— WNBA (@WNBA) April 11, 2023
A proud moment for @dawnstaley hearing @zia_cooke’s named called #10 overall in the first round. The @LASparks got a good one pic.twitter.com/IlJDC4KjiL
— WNBA (@WNBA) April 11, 2023
