Zia

Cooke

Less than two weeks removed from being traded to the Mystics as part of the Brittney Sykes trade, Cooke is back with the Storm. The 5-foot-9 guard appeared in 24 games before being traded, averaging 3.3 points in 10.4 minutes. Waived by the Mystics immediately after the trade, Cooke returns to Seattle, where she’ll look to provide additional depth off the bench.

The Storm needed to add firepower ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, with the team averaging just 16.0 bench points per game, second-fewest in the WNBA. To do this via the acquisition of Sykes, Seattle parted ways with Cooke, Clark and a 2026 first-round pick. Cooke has appeared in 24 games this season, averaging 3.3 points, 0.5 assists and 0.5 three-pointers in 10.4 minutes. Washington has waived Cooke, so she’ll be a free agent once she clears waivers.

Cooke was one of three former South Carolina players involved in Sunday’s game, and their college head coach (Dawn Staley) was in attendance. Cooke recorded her first double-digit scoring line of the season but struggled with efficiency. Given Seattle’s lack of consistent bench scorers, especially with Lexie Brown (illness) sidelined, Cooke will have opportunities to contribute. However, that isn’t enough to make her a player worth rostering in fantasy leagues.

Sundell, the 26th overall pick in last month’s draft, faced difficult odds to make Seattle’s roster due to the team’s perimeter depth. Lexie Brown and Zia Cooke were ahead of Sundell in the pecking order, and they should provide value behind starters Skylar Diggins and Erika Wheeler.