Zia Cooke was one of the best point guards in college basketball this past season with South Carolina and now she'll get to take her talents to the WNBA. Cooke was projected to go anywhere from the late first round to the early/mid second round. The Los Angles Sparks saw enough talent in her to make her their selection at the end of the first round of the WNBA draft with the No. 10 overall pick. Her South Carolina teammate Aliyah Boston was the No. 1 overall pick and Cooke was the third South Carolina player drafted in the first round along with Laeticia Amihere. Upon hearing her name called by the Sparks, Cooke was overcome with emotion and couldn't help but let it all out.

“It means the most. I put in a lot of work since I was six years old. I put my life to this,” Cooke said. “My dad being here for me since I was a kid, this is something I've dreamed of and I'm finally here.”

Zia Cooke had the option to return to South Carolina for another season if she chose to use her COVID year. But she chose to follow the rest of her South Carolina senior brethren in Boston, Amihere and Brea Beal in declaring for the WNBA draft. She is an offensive guard who put up points and get the basket off the dribble. Last season she averaged 15.4 points per game, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists with shooting splits of 40.5 percent shooting from the field, 34.6 percent shooting from the three-point line and 79.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.