Zia Cooke Bio
Zia Cooke (born January 9, 2001) is an American professional basketball player who most recently played in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). A point guard listed at 5 feet 9 inches, she played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), where she was a two-time All-SEC selection and helped lead her program to three consecutive NCAA Final Four appearances, including the 2022 national championship. Cooke was selected tenth overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2023 WNBA draft and has also competed professionally in Australia and Turkey.
Early Life and Background
Zia Cooke was born on January 9, 2001, in Toledo, Ohio, where she grew up under the guidance of her mother, Michelle. As a child, Cooke was a determined and athletic kid who initially played on a boys youth football team, going against her mother’s preference that she try cheerleading. By seventh grade, she shifted her focus entirely to basketball and began developing the perimeter skills that would later define her game.
Cooke attended Rogers High School in her hometown of Toledo, Ohio, where she quickly became one of the most productive scorers in the state. As a junior, she averaged 21.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, five assists, and 3.1 steals per game, leading her team to a Division II state title with a 33-point, 14-rebound performance in the championship game. The Blade named her its Player of the Year, and she later repeated as Player of the Year as a senior while winning a second consecutive state title and averaging 21.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. In addition to basketball, Cooke competed in softball, soccer, track, and cross country at Rogers.
Path to Basketball
Cooke’s senior-year highlight video drew national attention and helped establish her as one of the most coveted recruits in the 2019 class. ESPN rated her a five-star recruit, and she was selected to play in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game. On November 5, 2018, she committed to South Carolina over an offer list that included more than sixty programs, with Ohio State, Texas, Louisville, Tennessee, and Mississippi State among the schools that pursued her.
On the international stage, Cooke represented the United States at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Argentina, where she led the team to a gold medal and averaged 10.8 points per game, including a 15-point, four-rebound performance against Canada in the final. She added a second gold medal at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Belarus, averaging 7.9 points and 2.9 rebounds across the tournament.
Zia Cooke Career
Early Career (2019–2021)
Cooke arrived at South Carolina in 2019 and immediately carved out a major role under head coach Dawn Staley. On November 13, 2019, she scored a freshman season-high 27 points with seven rebounds in a 75–49 win over Dayton, part of a 32–1 campaign that ended with a No. 1 national ranking. She set a program record by starting 33 games as a freshman and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
As a sophomore in 2020–2021, Cooke raised her scoring average to 15.9 points per game to go with three rebounds and two assists, recording a 26-point performance in a December 31, 2020 win over Florida. She capped the season with a team-high 25 points in a 66–65 Final Four loss to Stanford and earned First Team All-SEC honors.
South Carolina Breakthrough (2021–2023)
During her junior season in 2021–2022, Cooke helped South Carolina capture the 2022 NCAA national championship and was named Second Team All-SEC for her play as a focal part of the Gamecocks’ perimeter attack. Her growth from a freshman starter into a championship-level guard was a defining stretch of her college career.
As a senior in 2022–2023, Cooke cemented her legacy by earning First Team All-SEC honors along with Third Team All-American recognition from the Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. She also won the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, given to the nation’s top shooting guard. By the end of her South Carolina tenure, she had helped the program reach the Final Four in each of her final three seasons and was selected tenth overall in the 2023 WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.
Los Angeles Sparks Era (2023–2025)
Cooke joined the Sparks for her rookie season in 2023, playing 39 games with four starts and averaging 4.8 points in 14.1 minutes per game. In her second season, her role diminished, and she appeared in 29 games while averaging 3.6 points in 8.9 minutes per game. On February 1, 2025, Los Angeles waived her as the team reshaped its roster.
Seattle Storm Era (2025–Present)
On February 12, 2025, Cooke signed with the Seattle Storm and made the franchise’s opening day roster. Her time in Seattle included a brief detour: on August 5, 2025, she was traded to the Washington Mystics along with Alysha Clark and a 2026 first-round pick in exchange for Brittney Sykes before being waived by the Mystics. On August 18, 2025, the Storm re-signed Cooke to a rest-of-season contract, bringing her back to the franchise.
Overseas Career
During the 2024–2025 WNBA offseason, Cooke signed with the Townsville Fire of Australia’s Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), though she parted ways with the team in December. In January 2025, she joined Danilo’s Pizza SK of the Turkish Super League to continue her professional development abroad.
Notable Events and Milestones
Cooke’s career has been defined by a series of milestone moments, from her 33-point high school state championship performance to her role on the 2022 NCAA title team at South Carolina. Her 25-point outing in the 2021 Final Four against Stanford and her selection as the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner in 2023 stand out as signature achievements. Internationally, two FIBA youth gold medals underscore her consistency on big stages.
Zia Cooke Career Wins
Zia Cooke’s most significant team victory came in 2022 when she helped South Carolina win the NCAA Division I women’s basketball championship. She also owns two FIBA youth gold medals, capturing the 2017 Under-16 Americas Championship in Argentina and the 2018 Under-17 World Cup in Belarus, and two Ohio Division II high school state titles with Rogers High School.
South Carolina Highlights
At South Carolina, Cooke was a central figure on three consecutive Final Four teams (2021, 2022, 2023), including the 2021–2022 squad that won the program’s second national championship. She started a program-record 33 games as a freshman, scored more than 1,000 career points in three seasons, and finished as a two-time First Team All-SEC pick, a Second Team All-SEC pick, and a Third Team All-American.
Zia Cooke Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Cooke was raised by her mother, Michelle, in Toledo, Ohio, and her family played a central role in her athletic upbringing. Michelle initially steered her toward cheerleading, but Cooke pursued sports on her own terms, an independence that has carried into her professional career. Off the court, Cooke has built a notable endorsement portfolio: as a junior, she signed a sponsorship deal with H&R Block as one of the first two participants in the company’s “A Fair Shot” campaign, alongside Caitlin Clark, and has since added name, image, and likeness partnerships with Dick’s Sporting Goods and Bojangles.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 WNBA season was defined by roster movement for Cooke. After being waived by the Los Angeles Sparks on February 1, she signed with the Seattle Storm on February 12 and earned a spot on the opening day roster, giving her a fresh opportunity in a new backcourt. Her time in Seattle, however, was turbulent: on August 5, she was part of a trade package sent to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Brittney Sykes before being waived, only to return to the Storm on a rest-of-season contract on August 18.
Alongside her WNBA campaign, Cooke spent the 2024–2025 offseason abroad, joining the Townsville Fire in Australia’s WNBA before moving to Danilo’s Pizza SK in the Turkish Super League in January 2025. The combination of overseas play and three WNBA stops in a single calendar year provided a heavy workload, but it also broadened her experience across multiple competitive systems. With her most recent WNBA contract re-signed in late August, Cooke closed the 2025 season back in Seattle, setting up an uncertain but opportunity-rich offseason heading into 2026.