Former Mercury Pick Shines In Debut

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.

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.