Rookie Zia Cooke is Putting on a Show on the Los Angeles Sparks—But She’s Just Getting Started
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On a sunny Los Angeles evening, thousands have gathered inside Crypto.com Arena for the L.A. Sparks’ home opener—a game sure to be a special one for a plethora of reasons. The Sparks are ready to debut their retooled roster led by new head coach Curt Miller, but what the 10,396 fans in attendance may not be prepared for is a different introduction. Ladies and gentlemen…Zia Cooke! The Sparks’ first-round pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, would put a stamp on her professional arrival in front of a national TV audience.
Let’s rewind just a bit. An accomplished athlete at Rogers High School in Toledo, OH, Cooke was always known for her enthusiastic play. The former youth league football player was as tough as they came and already had a state championship and a couple of gold medals with Team USA under her belt. The South Carolina commit was already a star, but she was about to become an even bigger one.
At the 2018 Best of Michigan Holiday Classic, Cooke led her team to the tourney title and was named MVP. However, her finesse and flare on the floor is what really got the people talking. Shake loose the defender, step back, point, attack the rim in showtime fashion. A video of the play was uploaded, and she became an overnight sensation.
Chance the Rapper, Dwyane Wade, CJ McCollum and more boosted the video across social media, along with multiple media outlets. The legend of Zia Cooke was born and everyone wanted front row tickets to the show. The buzz from the video eventually forced Cooke to create a Twitter account.
That attention followed her from high school to college, where she’d play on one of the most elite teams in the country (South Carolina) under one of the top coaches in the game (Dawn Staley). While in Columbia, Cooke would become an All-American, All-SEC selection and national champion. Winning is just what she does.
Remember the aforementioned pro debut? It only took 15 minutes. While donning a fresh pair of adidas sneakers (Cooke is one of the brand’s newest signees), she exploded off the bench for 14 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. She was showing that she was ready to make an impact right away.
“I was just very excited to be out there,” Cooke says. “I’m super excited every time I step on the floor, but for that game, I had a huge spark in me and a boatload of energy to get out there for my pro debut.”
The life of a WNBA rookie can be fast-paced. In the past two months, Cooke has gone through the NCAA tournament, WNBA Draft, training camp and the season tip-off. So exactly how does a young player find balance with everything going on?
“Self-care for Zia looks like me just being laid-back,” she explains. “I’m getting my hair done, going shopping, getting a massage and watching TV. I love being with family and friends and just somebody cooking at the house and talking.” After a brief pause, she arrives at the conclusion: “I think I’m starting to get boring the older I get.”
Zia admits she may not be the best cook, but she definitely has a few favorite go-to meals. “I really love nachos. I like easy simple things that someone can make that taste good. My favorite dish would be Cajun chicken alfredo. It has to be Cajun,” she says. “I have my mom make that all the time. Or soul food—you can never go wrong with that.”
Dawn Staley definitely knows what makes Cooke stand out. As she tells WSLAM, “[Zia] plays with such passion. She plays the game like every play is her last. She plays it like it’s a part of who she is, and you can see she loves the game. When someone plays it that way, the other characteristics come with it.”
Zia’s passion has fueled her. From early in her basketball career, she knew where she wanted to be.
“I just knew I was destined for something revolving around basketball. As I got older, I understood the Olympics and USA, and then the ultimate goal was to play in the WNBA,” she says. “That’s what I was working for, knowing that I could be on the biggest stage with this sport. Once I understood what the WNBA was, I pushed myself to the limit to get there.
“Also, coming from Toledo, it’s hard to make it. You could get very close and then it doesn’t happen,” she continues. “So when I got to college, that’s all I talked about. I got to get there! I’m not going to be one of those players that did good in high school and has all the highlights and then I’m not heard about. I wanted to stay relevant. I figured the only way that could happen is if I worked my butt off and got to the WNBA and made history and built my legacy from there.”
Staley echoes those sentiments. “Zia has been talking about the WNBA for as long as I’ve known her,” she says. “My very first conversation with her, she told me, I gotta make it. I gotta get to the League. After every year, at the end of the season during meetings, she’d bring it up. I’d say, You want to talk about this now? It’s just your freshman year,” Staley recalls. “To see it all come full circle, it’s amazing.”
Even though her college career is behind her, there were tons of great moments. There was her steal against Mississippi State during her freshman year. Coach Staley singled out her performance against Georgia as a senior. Zia, however, was torn.
“You gave a good one. Coach, too. But I’d have to say in the Bahamas—when we beat UConn and won that tournament [Battle 4 Atlantis]. We were able to go celebrate after the win, too. So that was a good one.”
Cooke has already had her “Welcome to the W” moment. Going up for a layup against the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson, she saw firsthand why Wilson is the League’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, in the form of a thunderous block.
“I wanted to see what that was like. I also want to make something clear about this—everyone said I was looking like, Oh my God, she just blocked my shot,” Cooke says. “But really I was wondering, Why didn’t they call the foul? Because that was a foul! But I guess you can say it was my welcome to the League moment. That’s the big sis and she did put it in the stands. But I’mma get my lick back!”
Cooke is settled in and enjoying the ride while making sure to not take the experience for granted. She is excited to be playing against some of her favorite players, some she’s been watching for a long time. “I had the chance to play against Arike [Ogunbowale], Jewell Loyd, and eventually I’ll have a chance to play against Kelsey Mitchell. I cherish everything, and I just started for the first time last night,” Cooke says with a big smile.
What would be her message to her younger self?
“I’m proud of you. Getting through all the things that you got through, and trying different sports as a kid. I’m happy that you got to the point where you are,” she says. “I’ll probably start crying, because I know what that little girl wanted, and she got it and is still working to get more.”
Representation matters to Cooke. “I aim to give back more to the community for girls who look like me.”
As she navigates her professional journey, Zia Cooke is surrounded by a group of veterans who are there to help. She’s trusting the process and putting in the work to grow. Her “I got to get there” dream has officially come true, and the show is only just beginning.
Photos via Getty Images.
