Zia Cooke heading to WNBA Draft
Another member of “The Freshies” has announced her plans for next season.
Zia Cooke announced Tuesday her decision to forgo her final year of eligibility and enter the WNBA Draft.
[Giveaway Alert! Win two USC-LSU Game 1 tickets]
“Thank you to the FAMs, Coach Staley, and everyone who has supported me. I’m excited for what’s ahead as I enter the 2023 WNBA Draft!!! #forevertothee,” Cooke said in a post on Twitter.
Since the day she arrived on campus, Cooke has been a consistent starter for South Carolina. She started all 137 games that she played in during her four years.
She played in three Final Fours and won a national championship as a junior in 2022.
[Subscribe to Gamecock Central until Aug. 31 for only $29.99!]
Her career comes to an end on a disappointing note, as the Gamecocks lost to Iowa in the Final Four this season.
Top 10
- 1New
Top 25 College QBs
Ranking best '25 signal callers
- 2
Top 25 Defensive Lines
Ranking the best for 2025
- 3
Big Ten Football
Predicting 1st loss for each team
- 4Hot
College Football Playoff
Ranking Top 32 teams for 2025
- 5Trending
Tim Brando
Ranks Top 15 CFB teams for 2025
Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Cooke averaged 13.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists with South Carolina. She won a plethora of awards, including two-time All-SEC and two-time All-American to name a few.
[Become an NIL supporter of your South Carolina Gamecocks!]
Cooke was a part of the infamous 2019 recruiting class that included five-stars Aliyah Boston (No. 3 nationally), Laeticia Amihere (No. 10), Brea Beal (No. 11), and three-star Olivia Thompson. She was the No. 4 player in the class.
Cooke becomes the fourth player to announce their decision to forgo another year of college basketball. Boston was the first to announce her decision followed by Beal and Amihere on Tuesday.
