LOS ANGELES — Zia Cooke said she’s ready to do whatever it takes to win with the Sparks.
“They have some good vets there that I know will put me under their wing and I’m just ready to learn,” said Cooke, a 5-foot-9 guard from South Carolina who the Sparks selected 10th overall in the first round of the 2023 WNBA Draft on Monday night. “I’m ready to win and do whatever I can do to help the team succeed and do what we know we can do.”
According to Karen Bryant, the team’s chief administrative officer/general manager and head coach Curt Miller, the feeling is mutual.
“Zia was really high on our list. We weren’t sure if she was going to fall to 10 or not,” Bryant said.
“We believe Zia grades out as one of the best two-way players in this draft,” Miller added.
Cooke averaged 15.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game last season while shooting 40.5% from the field and 34.6% from 3-point range and was a key starter on South Carolina’s 2022 national championship team.
Miller said Cooke’s path to making the Sparks’ season-opening roster is rooted in being herself.
“Zia has to come in and be herself and we have to put her in positions to be successful and to play her best while we continue to improve the growth areas in her game,” Miller explained. “I know that she can score at three levels. To us, what was impressive this senior season at South Carolina was her efficiency. She really improved her efficiency and so asking her to take good shots. She doesn’t have to force at this level. We have great players around her. For us, it is taking the shots she’s capable of making. Don’t force bad shots and then just continue to really dedicate herself to that efficiency, that’s really taken her game to a different level.
“Defensively, we want to see how she competed guarding some of the great wings during the NCAA tournament. She really competes and we get excited about that.”
During the pre-draft process,…
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