Los Angeles Sparks point guard Te’ a Cooper sat down for a recent interview where she opened up about her rookie season with the team.
“The journey getting here and the fact that I got the opportunity when I got it. I was surrounded by so many wonderful voices, and that started with the coaches down to my teammates — to be around them and grow in a time like this is really the most beneficial part of it all,” Cooper told HollywoodLife.
New Jersey native was a senior at Baylor University before being selected on April 17 by Phoenix Mercury as the 18th pick in the virtual 2020 WNBA Draft. The team was trimmed due to the global pandemic before the Sparks came knocking after guard Kristi Toliver opted out of the 2020 season.
“Te’ a Cooper is an exciting young player with experience playing for premier programs at the collegiate level,” Managing Partner and Governor Eric Holoman said at the time. “We look forward to adding a talented rookie to our team and thank her for staying ready for an opportunity in such unprecedented circumstances.”
And the rising basketball star is thankful for the opportunity. Cooper racked up 10 points off the bench against her former Mercury team.
“To have my coaches believe in keeping me in the fourth quarter when things matter and in tough games, and really seeing what I brought to the table,” she said. “And, to think, at one point you didn’t necessarily have a shot, and that was out of your control. It’s just insane.”
Cooper is the fiance of Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard.
