Playing under Dawn Staley is an enlightening experience. One that players tend to remember and reminisce about for the rest of their lives. There’s a reason the South Carolina coach is in the Hall of Fame. Coach Staley creates winners. She has a unique outlook towards teambuilding and her ability to develop talent over the years… off the charts! After all, the 4x Coach of the Year has sent the likes of A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, Kamilla Cardoso, and Zia Cooke to the league. Cooke, a 2021-22 NCAA championship winner under the tutelage of Staley, is now competing in the W amongst the biggest pros.

In an exclusive interview with Andrew Whitelaw of EssentiallySports, Zia Cooke delved into the mental aspect of playing professional basketball and how Dawn Staley’s teachings have helped her stay level-headed. When asked about her biggest growth moment, she spoke about resilience and toughness.

“Mostly everything that has to deal with basketball is mental. The physical part only matters so much when you get to a certain level. So just knowing how to keep my mental strong, knowing how to feed myself with positivity, and just let myself know that anything I go through is divined to go this way. This is my story and it’s supposed to be written this way,” Zia Cooke told EssentiallySports.

Obviously, something has clicked, because Zia Cooke wasn’t just a ‘role player’ in college. She averaged 13.5 points a night in just 28 minutes per game. Her sophomore year was her best statistically, in which she put up nearly 16 points on 40% from 3PT, but in Cooke’s third season?

South Carolina ended up reaching the promised land! It was a hefty journey, filled with highs and lows for the six-foot-one guard, but something Dawn Staley had said helped Zia Cooke maintain a firm hold on her mental well-being to this day.

“Never get too high, and don’t get too low. Just maintain. Just continue to maintain, knowing that you’re going to have very high moments. You’re going to have low moments. You’re going to feel okay some days, but you just got to stay levelheaded if you really want to be successful because you really don’t have too much time to dwell on things. You definitely have to continue to go forward,” Cooke revealed Staley’s everlasting advice.

Dawn Staley’s words, coupled with the work ethic she instilled into all her players, have been serving Zia Cooke right, even through her journey in the W. The Seattle Storm guard is in her third season in the league and has yet to earn some solid playing time. Ten minutes a game is better than none, of course, but it’s too small an opportunity to make a real impact. But what does Cooke have to say about her role in the league? Let’s find out.

Finding Strength in the Wait, In Zia Cooke’s Words

Working hard, aka hustling, is the common denominator in professional sports. Everyone works hard, from the 12th player on the bench to the MVP of the league. However, what differentiates this effort is the intent behind it–the ones that don’t get a shot are hungrier, more desperate, wanting to prove their mettle. But, as Zia Cooke pointed out in an exclusive interview with Andrew Whitelaw of EssentiallySports, it’s never easy to be in that position.

The biggest challenge for Zia Cooke?

“Just staying at it,” the 24-year-old said.

It’s hard dealing with disappointment, rejection, and failure, especially when you’re so close to making the next level.

“I definitely thought this was going to be the year that it’s like, okay, I’m going get to playing time. It’s coming. And it didn’t. And it’s like, okay, but I can’t sit around and wait. So, I gotta continue to work hard. Gotta continue to go upwards,” Zia Cooke admitted.

Furthermore, the Seattle Storm guard elaborated on what it’s like to work without seeing a light at the end of the tunnel…

“It’s easy to keep going when you know, like, okay, I’m playing this game. I’m playing in this game. I’m working towards this. But when you’re just working towards being there, you’re just working to be a good teammate. That’s extremely hard… I don’t think people understand it, but only the strong will truly survive. Staying ready is a real thing. I have no choice but to stay ready on this team. Like the people that I look up to, they in the gym early. So I got to be at the gym early. They leave the gym late. So I got to leave late. Regardless, if I’m getting the play time that I want or not, I know that it’s just for the greater good.  as long as I follow their footsteps, I’ll be in their shoes one day,” Zia Cooke concluded.

And it makes a lot of sense! Players like Zia Cooke, who aren’t established enough and don’t have a proper spot in the rotations, working hard is trusting the process. For someone like A’ja Wilson or Aliyah Boston, they know that they can apply whatever they’re working on, and that’s a different cycle altogether. However, it’s a lot tougher when you’re not even sure if something’s gonna come out of your hard work… Nevertheless, with the way Cooke has been showing out over her limited minutes, we know that the Seattle Storm guard has a bright future ahead of her!