Sparks draft South Carolina’s Zia Cooke in first round of WNBA draft

LOS ANGELES — Zia Cooke stated she’s able to do no matter it takes to win with the Sparks.

“They’ve some good vets there that I do know will put me underneath their wing and I’m simply able to study,” stated Cooke, a 5-foot-9 guard from South Carolina who the Sparks chosen tenth total within the first spherical of the 2023 WNBA Draft on Monday evening. “I’m able to win and do no matter I can do to assist the workforce succeed and do what we all know we are able to do.”

In line with Karen Bryant, the workforce’s chief administrative officer/common supervisor and head coach Curt Miller, the sensation is mutual.

“Zia was actually excessive on our record. We weren’t positive if she was going to fall to 10 or not,” Bryant stated.

“We consider Zia grades out as among the best two-way gamers on this draft,” Miller added.

Cooke averaged 15.4 factors, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per sport final season whereas capturing 40.5% from the sector and 34.6% from 3-point vary and was a key starter on South Carolina’s 2022 nationwide championship workforce.

Miller stated Cooke’s path to creating the Sparks’ season-opening roster is rooted in being herself.

“Zia has to come back in and be herself and we’ve to place her in positions to achieve success and to play her greatest whereas we proceed to enhance the expansion areas in her sport,” Miller defined. “I do know that she will be able to rating at three ranges. To us, what was spectacular this senior season at South Carolina was her effectivity. She actually improved her effectivity and so asking her to take good pictures. She doesn’t need to drive at this degree. We have now nice gamers round her. For us, it’s taking the pictures she’s able to making. Don’t drive unhealthy pictures after which simply proceed to essentially dedicate herself to that effectivity, that’s actually taken her sport to a distinct degree.

“Defensively, we wish to see how she competed guarding a few of the nice wings in the course of the NCAA match. She actually competes and we get enthusiastic about that.”

Through the pre-draft course of, Cooke stated she fell in love with the Sparks’ teaching workers and needs to study from veterans like All-Stars Jasmine Thomas and Nneka Ogwumike.

“That is undoubtedly a dream come true,” stated Cooke, one in every of three South Carolina gamers chosen within the first spherical together with Aliyah Boston (No. 1 total, Indiana) and Laeticia Amihere (No. 8, Atlanta). “That is one thing I’ve ready myself for since I used to be six years previous.”

Cooke stated she’s wanting ahead to coaching camp, which begins on April 30.

“I do know the exhausting work gained’t be an issue for me however for me, will probably be ensuring I’m asking questions,” Cooke shared. “I’m going to be a rookie however I’m going to make use of the vets in one of the simplest ways attainable by studying from them, asking them to observe movie with me, asking them to exercise with me and simply taking all of it in for these two weeks. In fact, I wish to make the workforce however I undoubtedly wish to get as a lot information as I can and hopefully when it’s throughout I’ll be on the workforce.”

The Sparks additionally chosen Shaneice Swain, a 5-9 level guard from Australia with their second-round choose (14th total). The 19-year-old performed for the UC Capitals in Australia’s Ladies’s Nationwide Basketball League (WNBL) alongside Sparks guard/ahead Rae Burrell, who was the workforce’s first-round choose within the 2022 draft.

Swain just isn’t anticipated to be invited to this 12 months’s coaching camp however is slotted to be a promising draft-and-stash participant for the Sparks.

Within the third spherical (twenty sixth total), the Sparks added Iowa’s Monika Czinano, a 6-3 ahead, who averaged 17.1 factors and 6.5 rebounds, whereas capturing 67.4% from the sector.

“One of the vital environment friendly publish gamers within the nation,” Miller stated when requested about his early evaluation of Czinano, who is anticipated to be invited to coaching camp.

The 2023 WNBA season ideas off on Could 19, when the Sparks host Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury at Crypto.com Enviornment.

NOTABLE

USC graduate college students Kadi Sissoko and Okako Adika had been taken twenty ninth and thirtieth by Phoenix and New York, respectively. It’s the primary time since 2012 the college had two gamers chosen within the draft. … Minnesota took Diamond Miller of Maryland with the No. 2 choose, and Dallas drafted Maddy Siegrist of Villanova with the third choose. … Stanford guard Haley Jones went sixth to Atlanta. … Along with three first-round picks, South Carolina additionally had two different gamers drafted, with Brea Beal going twenty fourth to Minnesota and Victaria Saxton picked subsequent by Indiana. … LSU guard Alexis Morris, who helped the Tigers win a nationwide championship eight days in the past, was taken twenty second by the Connecticut Solar. Her LSU teammate LaDazhia Williams was drafted six picks earlier by Indiana.