Cynthia Cooper
Encyclopedia
Cynthia Lynne Cooper is a former American basketball
player who has won championships in college, the Olympics, and in the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA). She is considered by many as one of the greatest women's basketball players ever. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history. She played for the Houston Comets
from 1997–2000 and again in 2003.
, Illinois
, Cooper grew up in South Central Los Angeles, California
.Cooper is the daughter of Mary and Kenny Cooper. Her father left the family when she was only six years old, leaving her mother to raise eight children.
She was married to Brian Dyke on April 28, 2001. Cynthia is a mother to twins, a son, Brian Jr., and a daughter, Cyan, born June 15, 2002.
In 2000, she published her autobiography
, entitled She Got Game: My Personal Odyssey, which covered her childhood, her basketball career up to that time, and her mother's battle with breast cancer
.
A noted disciplinarian, Cooper has long been well known for understanding rules
.
She speaks Italian fluently.
. Cooper participated athletically in both track and field as well as basketball. She led her team to the California State Championship (4A) scoring an average of 31 points per game, and scoring 45 points in one game. Cooper was named the Los Angeles Player of the Year.
and 1984
. After the 1984 Championship, she briefly left school, but was persuaded to return. She completed fours years with USC, although she did not graduate. Cooper closed out her collegiate career with an appearance in the 1986 NCAA tournament
championship game and a spot on the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team.Cooper ranks eighth on USC’s all-time scoring list with 1,559 points, fifth in assists (381) and third in steals (256). While Cooper was at USC, the Women of Troy compiled a record of 114–15.
as part of the 1987 USA Women's Pan American Team
which won a gold medal in Indianapolis, Indiana. Cooper was a member of the gold medalist 1988 US Olympic Women's Basketball Team., and the Bronze Medal team in 1992.
In 1986-87, she plays in Samoa Bétera, a Spanish team. She was the league leading scorer with 36.7 ppg.
During the ten years she played in the Italian leagues, she was the leagues leading scorer eight times, and finished second the other two years.
In 1987, she was the MVP of the European All-Star team. She was also named to the Al-Star team of the Italian leagues in 1996–1997.
and led the league in scoring consecutive three years, galvanizing the franchise to a record four WNBA Championships
. In addition, she was voted the WNBA's MVP
in 1997 and 1998 and named Most Valuable Player in each of those WNBA Finals. Cooper was named the 1998 Sportswoman of the Year (in the team category) by the Women's Sports Foundation. During the Comet dynasty, she was a vital part of the triple threat offense with Sheryl Swoopes
and Tina Thompson
. When retired in 2000, Cooper became the first player in WNBA history to score 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 2,500 career points. She scored 30 or more points in 16 of her 120 games and had a 92-game double-figure scoring streak from 1997–2000. She went on to coach the Phoenix Mercury
for one and a half seasons.
Cooper returned as an active player in the 2003 season, but announced her final retirement from professional basketball in 2004. Her appearance in the game, as a 40-year-old, made her the oldest player, at the time, to play in a WNBA game.
Afterward, she served as a TV analyst and halftime reporter for the Houston Rockets
of the NBA.
Cooper has also been named one of the top 15 players in the WNBA at the 2011 WNBA All-Star game.
| align="left" | 1997
| align="left" | Houston
| 28 || 28 || 35.1 || .470 || .414 || .864 || 4.0 || 4.7 || 2.1 || 0.2 || 3.89 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|22.2
|-
| align="left" | 1998
| align="left" | Houston
| 30 || 30 || 35.0 || .446 || .400 || .854 || 3.7 || 4.4 || 1.6 || 0.4 || 3.17 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|22.7
|-
| align="left" | 1999
| align="left" | Houston
| 31 || 31 || 35.5 || .463 || .335 || .891 || 2.8 || 5.2 || 1.4 || 0.4 || 3.35 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|22.1
|-
| align="left" | 2000
| align="left" | Houston
| 31 || 31 || 35.0 || .459 || .355 || .875 || 2.7 || 5.0 || 1.3 || 0.2 || 3.19 || 17.7
|-
| align="left" | 2003
| align="left" | Houston
| 4 || 4 || 36.0 || .421 || .389 || .893 || 2.5 || 5.5 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 3.50 || 16.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |5 years, 1 team
| 124 || 124 || 35.2 || .459 || .377 || .871 || 3.2 || 4.9 || 1.6 || 0.3 || 3.40 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|21.0
| align="left" | 1997
| align="left" | Houston
| 2 || 2 || 38.5 || .533 || .400 || .741 || 4.5 || 4.5 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 3.50 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|28.0
|-
| align="left" | 1998
| align="left" | Houston
| 5 || 5 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|39.6 || .452 || .250 || .844 || 3.2 || 4.4 || 1.8 || 1.0 || 3.00 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|25.8
|-
| align="left" | 1999
| align="left" | Houston
| 6 || 6 || 36.7 || .388 || .324 || .865 || 4.3 || 6.8 || 1.5 || 1.0 || 3.33 || 20.3
|-
| align="left" | 2000
| align="left" | Houston
| 6 || 6 || 38.0 || .378 || .344 || .897 || 2.5 || 3.7 || 1.5 || 0.2 || 3.00 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|22.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |4 years, 1 team
| 19 || 19 || 38.1 || .416 || .317 || .847 || 3.5 || 4.9 || 1.6 || 0.7 || 3.16 || 23.3
Cooper's impact at Prairie View was immediate. In just her second season, Cooper led the underdog Panthers to the SWAC
tournament title, netting the school its first-ever Women's NCAA Tournament bid.
In January 2008 the NCAA penalized Prairie View for NCAA rules violations committed by Cooper, reducing the number of scholarships for the team. The school was placed on four years' probation for "major violations" in 2005–2006 that ranged from Cooper giving players small amounts of cash to various forms of unauthorized practices. Cooper also gave players free tickets to Comets game, which is another NCAA infraction.
On May 10, 2010, she was announced as the next Head Coach of the UNC Wilmington Seahawks Women's Basketball team.
In her first year at UNCW, Cooper was named CAA Coach of the Year.
in 2009. She was also announced as a member of the 2010 induction class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
(the first WNBA player to be so), and was formally inducted on August 13 of that year.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who has won championships in college, the Olympics, and in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA). She is considered by many as one of the greatest women's basketball players ever. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history. She played for the Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
from 1997–2000 and again in 2003.
Personal
Although born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Cooper grew up in South Central Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.Cooper is the daughter of Mary and Kenny Cooper. Her father left the family when she was only six years old, leaving her mother to raise eight children.
She was married to Brian Dyke on April 28, 2001. Cynthia is a mother to twins, a son, Brian Jr., and a daughter, Cyan, born June 15, 2002.
In 2000, she published her autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, entitled She Got Game: My Personal Odyssey, which covered her childhood, her basketball career up to that time, and her mother's battle with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
.
A noted disciplinarian, Cooper has long been well known for understanding rules
Rules of basketball
The rules of basketball are the rules and regulations that govern the play, officiating, equipment and procedures of basketball. While many of the basic rules are uniform throughout the world, variations do exist. Most leagues or governing bodies in North America, the most important of which are...
.
She speaks Italian fluently.
High school years
She attended Locke High School before enrolling at the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Cooper participated athletically in both track and field as well as basketball. She led her team to the California State Championship (4A) scoring an average of 31 points per game, and scoring 45 points in one game. Cooper was named the Los Angeles Player of the Year.
College years
Cooper was a four-year letter winner at guard for USC from 1982–1986. She led the Women of Troy to NCAA appearances in all four years, Final Four appearances in three of her four years, and back-to-back NCAA tournament titles in 19831983 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1983 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 18 and concluded on April 3 with USC winning the title. The tournament consisted of 36 teams. The Final Four was held in Norfolk, Virginia and consisted of USC, Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion, and Georgia...
and 1984
1984 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Midwest Regional - Louisiana Tech - Ruston, LA :-East Regional - Old Dominion - Norfolk, VA :-West Regional - Stanford University - Palo Alto, CA :-Final Four - Los Angeles, CA :...
. After the 1984 Championship, she briefly left school, but was persuaded to return. She completed fours years with USC, although she did not graduate. Cooper closed out her collegiate career with an appearance in the 1986 NCAA tournament
1986 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1986 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 12 and ended on March 30. The tournament expanded to 40 teams from 32. The Final Four consisted of Texas, Tennessee, Western Kentucky, and USC, with Texas defeating Southern California, 97-81 in the championship game. Texas's...
championship game and a spot on the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team.Cooper ranks eighth on USC’s all-time scoring list with 1,559 points, fifth in assists (381) and third in steals (256). While Cooper was at USC, the Women of Troy compiled a record of 114–15.
USA basketball career
Cooper played for USA BasketballUSA Basketball
USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States Olympic Committee...
as part of the 1987 USA Women's Pan American Team
USA Women's Pan American Team
The Pan American Team is one of the teams under the auspices of the USA Basketball organization. The Pan American Games are held every four years in the year before the Olympics. The first Pan American Games were held in 1951, but those games were men only. The Second Pan American games in 1955...
which won a gold medal in Indianapolis, Indiana. Cooper was a member of the gold medalist 1988 US Olympic Women's Basketball Team., and the Bronze Medal team in 1992.
International career
Cooper played for several teams in the European leagues:- Samoa Bétera (Spain) 1986–1987 (36.7 ppg)
- Parma (Italy) 1987–1994
- Alcamo (Italy) 1994–1996
In 1986-87, she plays in Samoa Bétera, a Spanish team. She was the league leading scorer with 36.7 ppg.
During the ten years she played in the Italian leagues, she was the leagues leading scorer eight times, and finished second the other two years.
In 1987, she was the MVP of the European All-Star team. She was also named to the Al-Star team of the Italian leagues in 1996–1997.
WNBA career
At the age of 34, Cooper signed on to play with the Houston CometsHouston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
and led the league in scoring consecutive three years, galvanizing the franchise to a record four WNBA Championships
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
. In addition, she was voted the WNBA's MVP
WNBA Most Valuable Player Award
The Women's National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual Women's National Basketball Association award given since the league's inaugural season. MVP voting takes place immediately following the regular season. The award recipient is decided by a panel of sportswriters and...
in 1997 and 1998 and named Most Valuable Player in each of those WNBA Finals. Cooper was named the 1998 Sportswoman of the Year (in the team category) by the Women's Sports Foundation. During the Comet dynasty, she was a vital part of the triple threat offense with Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl Denise Swoopes is an American professional basketball player who, subsequent to being waived into free agency, signed to re-join the WNBA to play with the Tulsa Shock in 2011. She was the first player to be signed in the WNBA when it was created. She has won three Olympic Gold Medals and...
and Tina Thompson
Tina Thompson
Tina Marie Thompson is a professional basketball player in the WNBA for the Los Angeles Sparks. The first draft pick in WNBA history, Thompson was selected first by the Houston Comets. She helped lead the Comets to four WNBA Championships...
. When retired in 2000, Cooper became the first player in WNBA history to score 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 2,500 career points. She scored 30 or more points in 16 of her 120 games and had a 92-game double-figure scoring streak from 1997–2000. She went on to coach the Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises...
for one and a half seasons.
Cooper returned as an active player in the 2003 season, but announced her final retirement from professional basketball in 2004. Her appearance in the game, as a 40-year-old, made her the oldest player, at the time, to play in a WNBA game.
Afterward, she served as a TV analyst and halftime reporter for the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
of the NBA.
Cooper has also been named one of the top 15 players in the WNBA at the 2011 WNBA All-Star game.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 1997
1997 WNBA Season
-External links:*...
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
| 28 || 28 || 35.1 || .470 || .414 || .864 || 4.0 || 4.7 || 2.1 || 0.2 || 3.89 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|22.2
|-
| align="left" | 1998
1998 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
| 30 || 30 || 35.0 || .446 || .400 || .854 || 3.7 || 4.4 || 1.6 || 0.4 || 3.17 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|22.7
|-
| align="left" | 1999
1999 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
| 31 || 31 || 35.5 || .463 || .335 || .891 || 2.8 || 5.2 || 1.4 || 0.4 || 3.35 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|22.1
|-
| align="left" | 2000
2000 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
| 31 || 31 || 35.0 || .459 || .355 || .875 || 2.7 || 5.0 || 1.3 || 0.2 || 3.19 || 17.7
|-
| align="left" | 2003
2003 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
| 4 || 4 || 36.0 || .421 || .389 || .893 || 2.5 || 5.5 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 3.50 || 16.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |5 years, 1 team
| 124 || 124 || 35.2 || .459 || .377 || .871 || 3.2 || 4.9 || 1.6 || 0.3 || 3.40 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|21.0
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 1997
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
| 2 || 2 || 38.5 || .533 || .400 || .741 || 4.5 || 4.5 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 3.50 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|28.0
|-
| align="left" | 1998
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
| 5 || 5 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|39.6 || .452 || .250 || .844 || 3.2 || 4.4 || 1.8 || 1.0 || 3.00 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|25.8
|-
| align="left" | 1999
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
| 6 || 6 || 36.7 || .388 || .324 || .865 || 4.3 || 6.8 || 1.5 || 1.0 || 3.33 || 20.3
|-
| align="left" | 2000
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
| 6 || 6 || 38.0 || .378 || .344 || .897 || 2.5 || 3.7 || 1.5 || 0.2 || 3.00 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|22.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |4 years, 1 team
| 19 || 19 || 38.1 || .416 || .317 || .847 || 3.5 || 4.9 || 1.6 || 0.7 || 3.16 || 23.3
College coaching career
In May 2005, Cooper was named the Head Coach of the women's basketball team at Prairie View A&M University.Cooper's impact at Prairie View was immediate. In just her second season, Cooper led the underdog Panthers to the SWAC
Southwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
tournament title, netting the school its first-ever Women's NCAA Tournament bid.
In January 2008 the NCAA penalized Prairie View for NCAA rules violations committed by Cooper, reducing the number of scholarships for the team. The school was placed on four years' probation for "major violations" in 2005–2006 that ranged from Cooper giving players small amounts of cash to various forms of unauthorized practices. Cooper also gave players free tickets to Comets game, which is another NCAA infraction.
On May 10, 2010, she was announced as the next Head Coach of the UNC Wilmington Seahawks Women's Basketball team.
In her first year at UNCW, Cooper was named CAA Coach of the Year.
Halls of Fame
Cooper was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of FameWomen's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors men and women who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA...
in 2009. She was also announced as a member of the 2010 induction class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
(the first WNBA player to be so), and was formally inducted on August 13 of that year.