Former Mercury Pick Shines In Debut

The Phoenix Mercury had three draft picks in 2020, and one of them recently made their debut in the WCBA.

Jan 28, 2020; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Lady Bears guard Te'a Cooper (4) dribbles up court against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at Ferrell Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury have had many draft picks over the years, and some of them did not play for the team. They were selected by Phoenix, and they either played for another WNBA team, played overseas or pivoted to coaching.

Past Mercury picks are all over the world, and recently one of their former selections was highlighted on social media.

Te'a Cooper recently made her debut in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA), and she is off to a hot start.

Te’a Cooper has hit the ground running in her WCBA debut, putting up (19.5) points over Dalian’s first two games.

She added 20 points in Friday’s 78–76 win over Fujian Xiamen. ✨ pic.twitter.com/zTTS808PeU

— I talk hoops 🏀 (@trendyhoopstars) December 7, 2025

Cooper had 20 points in a recent win, and she is averaging 19.2 points through her first two games. The talented guard was drafted by the Mercury in 2020. They had a pick in each round that year, and she was their second-round pick.

The Mercury picked Jocelyn Willoughby in the first round, and they drafted Stella Johnson after Cooper. None of those picks played for Phoenix, but they got opportunities elsewhere.

Willoughby spent three years with the New York Liberty, as the Mercury traded her and acquired Shatori Walker-Kimbrough. Johnson was waived by Phoenix, and she was picked up by the Chicago Sky. She spent a year with them, and she played with the Washington Mystics after that.

Cooper remains in the Western Conference

In Cooper's case, she played for the Los Angeles Sparks. She played with them for two seasons, and in her first year, she averaged seven points, two assists and a rebound. Her second season was even better, as she averaged 9.1 points, 1.7 rebounds an 1.4 assists.

Jan 28, 2020; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Lady Bears guard Te'a Cooper (4) dribbles the baseline on Iowa State Cyclones guard Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw (32) during the second half at Ferrell Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Cooper had her career high during that second season, as she had 26 points against the Mystics. She also had four assists, three rebounds and two steals. She was the team's leading scorer, and she did it off the bench. She led the charge, and the Sparks had three other players who scored 10 or more points. Two of them had big games off the bench as well.

While Cooper did not play for Phoenix, she is still a part of their history. They drafted her after her solid season with the Baylor Bears. She averaged 13.6 points, 4.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals. Before that, she played for Tennessee and South Carolina.

The Mercury pick is doing well, and chances are, she will continue to play at a high level.

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