Cynthia Cooper
From Hoopedia
Cynthia Lynne Cooper-Dyke (born on April 14, 1963 in Chicago, Illinois) played high school, collegiate, professional (most notably with the Women's National Basketball Association), and international basketball. Since retirement she has worked as a basketball announcer and as a college coach.
Contents |
Personal
Although born in Chicago, Cooper grew up in South Central Los Angeles, California. She married in 2000.
In 2000 she published her autobiography, 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 a reputation for having a deep understanding of the rules.
High School
She attended Locke High School.
College
Cooper was a four-year letter winner at guard for the University of Southern California from 1982-86. She led the Women of Troy to back-to-back NCAA tournament titles in 1982 and 1983 and closed out her collegiate career with an appearance in the 1986 NCAA Division I 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).
International
Cooper was a gold medalist with the 1988 United States Olympic Women's Basketball Team.
WNBA
Cooper was voted WNBA MVP in 1997 and 1998 and also won four WNBA Championships with the Houston Comets. She was named Finals MVP in all four finals.
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 and 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 97-00. 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.
Afterwards, she served as a TV analyst and halftime reporter for the Houston Rockets of the NBA.
In 2007 Cooper was selected for the WNBA All-Decade Team, as one of the ten most important players of the WNBA's first ten years in existence.
WNBA Coaching Career
Cooper coached the Phoenix Mercury in 2001 and ten games in 2002, compiling a career record of 19-23.
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 tournament title, netting the school its first-ever NCAA Division I Women's Tournament bid.
On January 8, 2008 Prairie View was penalized by the NCAA for violations attributed to unfamiliarity with rules by coach Cynthia Cooper. The NCAA reduced Prairie View's scholarships from 15 to 12 for the next three years, and the program also was placed on four years' probation for "major violations" in 2005-06 that ranged from Cooper-Dyke giving players small amounts of cash to various forms of unauthorized practices.
