Townsville Fire recruit star WNBA guard Zia Cooke for WNBL campaign
The Townsville Fire have recruited one of America’s top rising basketball talents with 2023 WNBA No.10 draft pick Zia Cooke joining the team for the upcoming WNBL season. Find out why she is set to be one of the league’s biggest stars.
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The Townsville Fire have recruited one of America’s top rising basketball talents with 2023 WNBA No.10 draft pick Zia Cooke joining the team for the upcoming WNBL season.
Cooke has become a star of the WNBA in her second season with the Los Angeles Sparks where she averaged 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
The tenacious guard grew terrific praise from Townsville coach Shannon Seebohm, who said the 23-year-old had already made her mark on the biggest stage in the sport.
“Zia has proven herself in one of the toughest leagues in the world,” Seebohm said.
“She’s a dynamic guard who can score from anywhere and lock down defensively. We’re excited to see what she can do in the WNBL.”
Cooke has a huge social media presence with almost 280,000 Instagram followers, instantly making her one of the highest profile players to ever play WNBL.
She said she was looking forward to her first international basketball experience.
“Fans and family, I’m excited to announce I will be experiencing my first year overseas playing for (the) Townsville Fire,” Cooke said.
“Huge thank you to the Fire for allowing me to be a part. Please support us as we try to go win a championship.”
The news comes after the Fire announced on Monday that star import Jacy Sheldon would not be joining the Fire.
Townsville Fire general manager Sam Pascoe said the club was delighted to secure a player of Cooke’s calibre.
“Zia is an exciting player who will no doubt quickly become a fan favourite,” Pascoe said.
“Her scoring ability and competitive edge will fit perfectly into our system. We’re confident she’ll have an immediate impact as we push for a successful season.”
The Fire begin their WNBL campaign on the road on October 30, taking on Geelong United and then Perth before returning to Townsville for the home-opener on Saturday, November 16, against Bendigo.
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Originally published as Townsville Fire recruit star WNBA guard Zia Cooke for WNBL campaign
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