Te'a Cooper
{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1997)}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Te'a Cooper
| image = Te'a Cooper.jpg
| caption =
| image_size =
| number =
| position = Point guard
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 8
| weight_lb = 160
| league = WNBA
| team =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|4|16}}
| birth_place = Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
| nationality = American
| high_school = McEachern
(Powder Springs, Georgia)
| college = *Tennessee (2015–2017)
- South Carolina (2017–2019)
- Baylor (2019–2020)
| draft_league = WNBA
| draft_year = 2020
| draft_round = 2
| draft_pick = 18
| draft_team = Phoenix Mercury
| career_start = 2020
| career_end =
| years1 = {{WNBA Year|2020}}–{{WNBA Year|2021}}
| team1 = Los Angeles Sparks
| years2 = 2025
| team2 = Tarbes Gespe Bigorre
| highlights = * First-team All-Big 12 (2020)
- SEC All-Freshman Team (2016)
- Mcdonald's All-American Game MVP (2015)
}}
Te'a Omari Cooper (born April 16, 1997) is an American professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears, South Carolina Gamecocks, and the Tennessee Volunteers.{{cite web |title=2020 WNBA Draft Profile: Te'a Cooper |url=https://www.wnba.com/draft2020profile/tea-cooper/ |website=wnba.com |publisher=Women's National Basketball Association |accessdate=2 May 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Knight |first1=Mandy |title=Te'a Cooper's Journey to the WNBA |url=https://www.fox44news.com/sports/tea-coopers-journey-to-the-wnba/ |accessdate=2 May 2020 |publisher=Fox44news.com}}
Early life
Cooper played high school basketball for McEachern High School.{{cite web |title=Te'a Cooper |url=http://www.espn.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/137431 |website=espn.com |accessdate=2 May 2020}} In her freshman year, McEachern High School was undefeated as they finished 33–0. She shot 65 percent from the field. She won three Georgia 6A State titles in 2012, 2014 and 2015, and she was the co-MVP of the 2015 McDonald's All-America game.
Professional career
On April 17, 2020, the Phoenix Mercury selected Cooper as the 18th pick in the 2020 WNBA draft.{{cite news |last1=Maloney |first1=Jack |title=2020 WNBA Draft winners and losers: Liberty add Sabrina Ionescu with top pick; Wings land talented trio |url=https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/2020-wnba-draft-winners-and-losers-liberty-add-sabrina-ionescu-with-top-pick-wings-land-talented-trio/live/ |accessdate=2 May 2020 |publisher=cbssports.com}}{{cite news |last1=Bernarowski |first1=John |title=Former McEachern standout Te'a Cooper selected by Phoenix in WNBA Draft |url=https://www.mdjonline.com/sports/former-mceachern-standout-tea-cooper-selected-by-phoenix-in-wnba-draft/article_d6025448-810e-11ea-846e-6bee8864a979.html |accessdate=2 May 2020 |publisher=mdjonline.com}} Due to the global pandemic from COVID-19, Phoenix Mercury were forced to cut some of their players from the team in May 2020, including Te'a Cooper.{{Cite web|last=Merchant|first=Sabreena|date=2020-07-20|title=The Replacements: What can Te'a Cooper and Reshanda Gray bring to the Sparks?|url=https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2020/7/20/21321401/los-angeles-sparks-analysis-tea-cooper-reshanda-gray-replacements-toliver-ogwumike|access-date=2020-10-03|website=Silver Screen and Roll|language=en}} The Los Angeles Sparks team took this as an opportunity to transfer some of the Phoenix Mercury players to play for them, and Cooper was picked to play as a point guard. From her previous college 3-point range (56-of-135 for 41.5%), can prove to the Sparks coach, Derek Fisher, how well of a point guard and shooter she can provide for his team, despite her being a rookie. Cooper continues to gain experience and skills from the other players in the Los Angeles Sparks team. Cooper's current average for about 17 minutes in a game consists of making around 7.3 points and having about 2 assists.{{Cite web|title=Sparks guard Te'a Cooper cleared to return following inconclusive COVID-19 test|url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/los-angeles-sparks-guard-tea-cooper-isolation-inconclusive-coronavirus-covid19-pandemic-test-wnba-bubble-002654390.html|access-date=2020-10-04|website=au.news.yahoo.com|language=en-AU}} On August 13, 2020, the Los Angeles Sparks played against the Washington Mystics, leading Cooper to have one of her best games of the season with 10 points (5-of-6 shooting) with 3 assists, all within 19 minutes of playing time.{{Cite web|date=2020-08-14|title=Sparks guard Te'a Cooper making her mark as a rookie|url=https://www.ocregister.com/sparks-guard-tea-cooper-making-her-mark-as-a-rookie|access-date=2020-10-04|website=Whittier Daily News|language=en-US}} After a 3-year hiatus, she would make her return to professional basketball in December 2024 by signing with Tarbes Gespe Bigorre of a French Women's Basketball League for the 2025 season.[https://www.nrpyrenees.fr/2025/01/30/tgb-tea-cooper-pose-enfin-ses-valises-a-tarbes-12480908.php TGB: American Te'a Cooper finally settles down in Tarbes][https://www.postup.fr/2024/12/29/lbwl-tea-cooper-debarque-a-tarbes/ LBWL: Te'a COOPER arrives in Tarbes][https://www.eurobasket.com/France/news/909670/Tea-Cooper-agreed-terms-with-Tarbes?Women=1 Te'a Cooper agreed terms with Tarbes]
Career statistics
{{WNBA player statistics legend}}
| class="wikitable" |
| WNBA record |
=WNBA=
==Regular season==
{{WNBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | 2020
| align="left" | Los Angeles
| 20 || 3 || 17.0 || .451 || .344 || .765 || 1.0 || 2.0 || 0.7 || 0.0 || 1.5 || 7.0
|-
| align="left" | 2021
| align="left" | Los Angeles
| 31 || 13 || 22.0 || .379 || .324 || .750 || 1.7 || 1.4 || 0.9 || 0.2 || 1.8 || 9.1
|-
| align="left" | Career
|
| 51 || 16 || 20.1 || .401 || .330 || .754 || 1.5 || 1.6 || 0.8 || 0.1 || 1.7 || 8.2
|}
==Playoffs==
{{WNBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | 2020
| align="left" | Los Angeles
| 1 || 0 || 21.0 || .250 || .500 || .000 || 0.0 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 3.0 || 3.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
|
| 1 || 0 || 21.0 || .250 || .500 || .000 || 0.0 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 3.0 || 3.0
|}
=College=
{{NBA player statistics legend}}
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Team !GP !Points !FG% !3P% !FT% !RPG !APG !SPG !BPG !PPG |
| 2015-16
|Tennessee |36 |311 |36.9% |26.0% |72.2% |1.9 |2.1 |1.2 | - |8.6 |
| 2016-17
|Tennessee | colspan="10" |Medical redshirt{{Cite web|last=HADLEY|first=GREG|date=February 22, 2019|title=Dawn Staley updates Te'a Cooper's injury status for Tennessee|url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/college/article226615054.html|access-date=June 3, 2021|website=charlotteobserver.com}} |
| 2017-18
|South Carolina |
| 2018-19
|South Carolina |30 |357 |42.9% |28.9% |76.2% |2.5 |2.2 |1.1 |0.3 |11.9 |
| 2019-20
|Baylor |30 |408 |43.8% |41.5% |73.0% |2.3 |4.6 |1.9 |0.1 |13.6 |
| Career
| |96 |1076 |41.2% |33.2% |74.1% |2.2 |2.9 |1.4 |0.1 |11.2 |
Personal life
Te'a Cooper is the daughter of Omar and Kindall Cooper. She has three siblings: Mia (Imani) and twins Sharife and Omar. Sharife was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2021.
Te'a dated Dwight Howard and the pair became engaged in 2019. In 2021, Cooper and Howard parted ways. Cooper once dated New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara.{{cite web |title=Sparks' Te'a Cooper...|url=https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/sparks_tea_cooper_confirms_breakup_from_sixers_dwight_howard/s1_127_34751312 |website=yardbarker.com |date=28 April 2021 |accessdate=28 April 2021}} Cooper and Kamara welcomed a baby girl, Stori Kamara, on December 25, 2022.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{commonscatinline}}
{{2020 WNBA draft}}
{{McDonald's All-American Game Girls MVP}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Te'a}}
Category:American women's basketball players
Category:Basketball players from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Baylor Bears women's basketball players
Category:Los Angeles Sparks players
Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans
Category:Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball)
Category:Basketball players from Montclair, New Jersey
Category:Phoenix Mercury draft picks