Seattle Storm On SI

Seattle Storm Player Delivered Message Days Before Reunion

Zia Cooke was grateful for the opportunity coming the point guard's way.

Justin Grasso

Jun 29, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Seattle Storm guard Zia Cooke (7) defends against the Golden State Valkyries during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Jun 29, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Seattle Storm guard Zia Cooke (7) defends against the Golden State Valkyries during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Not long after getting traded to the Washington Mystics, Zia Cooke is back with the Seattle Storm.

In the days leading up to a return to Seattle, Cooke sent out a message to a following of over 30,000 people. It was clear that good things were coming for the WNBA point guard.

via @zia_cooke: Forever grateful ❤️

Two days later, it was clear that a great situation had arrived. After spending some time on the free agency market, Cooke is back in Seattle, playing for the Storm. The team announced the acquisiton on Monday afternoon.

via @seattlestorm: WELCOME BACK ZIA ⛈️ We've signed Zia Cooke to a rest-of-season contract!

The former South Carolina star will get a chance to help the Storm battle down the stretch of the 2025 WNBA season.

It’s been a long journey for Cooke, who was traded to the Washington Mystics with Alysha Clark and a 2026 first-round pick this season, in exchange for Brittney Sykes. Cooke subsequently waived after the deal was finalized.

During a four-year stint with South Carolina, Cooke appeared in 137 games. The point guard left the NCAA after averaging 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists.

During South Carolina’s title-winning season, Cooke contributed 11 points per game on 34 percent shooting from the field in 36 games. In 2022-2023, Cooke wrapped up a four-year stint by producing 15 points per game, while knocking down a career-high 41 percent from the field.

In the first round of the 2023 WNBA Draft, Cooke was selected 10th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks. As a rookie, Cooke appeared in 39 games, picking up four starts. It’s a career-high for the veteran point guard. Cooke produced five points per game, knocking down 29 percent of the shots from the field.

The 2024 season included just 29 appearances for Cooke. By year two, Cooke went from averaging 14 minutes per game to just under nine minutes of action off the bench. Eventually, the Sparks moved on.

Back in February, Cooke and the Storm linked up with a short-term contract. Before parting ways with the Stom, Cooke came off the bench for 10 minutes per game in 24 matchups. The third-year guard averaged three points, while shooting 35 percent from the field and 38 percent from three.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering multiple teams for On SI, part of the Sports Illustrated Network. Since 2016, he has covered various teams with a focus on the NBA and the NFL. His previous stops include FanSided, FantasyPros, Heavy, and 97.3 ESPN. Grasso is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association.

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