WNBA Draft See’s Future Stars Arrive

By Earl Heath

Contributing Sports Writer

The 2023 WNBA Draft opened with the Indiana Fever selecting Aliyah Boston out of South Carolina as the No. 1 overall pick. A few hours later, the action came to a close when the Las Vegas Aces picked Brittany Davis from Alabama with the No. 36 overall selection.

The Los Angeles Sparks selected Zia Cooke out of South Carolina with the 10th overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft presented by State FarmÒ.

“We are thrilled to add Zia to a growing list of quality players on and off the court,” said Sparks CAO and GM Karen Bryant. “In evaluating Zia, there are so many aspects of her game coupled with intangibles that made her an obvious choice with the 10th pick.”

The 5-9, Toledo native played in 137 games (all starts) for the Gamecocks, holding averages of 13.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.9 steals. The Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year shot 39.0 percent from the field, including 34.0% from beyond the arc. She finished her college career fifth in school history in three-point field goals (196) and eighth in school history in points (1,845). Cooke is the first player from South Carolina that has been drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks.

“Zia is a winner and a national champion,” said Miller. “She was the best two-way player available and can impact the game at both the offensive and defensive ends. She is an outstanding scorer at multiple levels and showed the ability to be a defensive stopper for the Gamecocks.”