Women'Sports Wire

(January 8, 2001)

Two-Time WNBA MVP Cynthia Cooper to Become Phoenix Mercury's Second Head Coach
Joins Mercury as one of the WNBA's most decorated players

PHOENIX, AZ (January 8, 2001) The Phoenix Mercury and four-time WNBA Finals MVP Cynthia Cooper have come to an agreement which will make Cooper the head coach of the Mercury, the club announced today. Details of the three-year agreement are being worked out.

The 37-year-old comes to Phoenix from Houston where she led the Comets to all four Championships in WNBA history. Cooper will become the second Mercury coach, replacing Cheryl Miller who stepped down on Dec. 1.

"First of all, I want to thank God for bestowing this blessing and opportunity upon me," Cooper said. "I want to thank Jerry and Bryan Colangelo, as well as Seth Sulka, for having the confidence in my ability. I am truly honored and excited about coaching this talented team. I am looking forward to being a part of bringing a Championship to the city of Phoenix."

Mercury vice president of business and basketball operations, Seth Sulka shares Cooper's excitement. "This is a very exciting day for the Mercury to get the opportunity to add a true champion in Cynthia Cooper to our organization," he said.

Cooper, a former guard, earned All-WNBA First Team honors in each of her four seasons in the WNBA, and she was selected to the WNBA All-Star Team each year the Game was played. Cooper is the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, and the Comet's all-time leader in points scored, scoring average, free throw percentage, assists and minutes played. She was named the WNBA Player of the Week six times in four seasons, and she was the first player to earn the award for two consecutive weeks. Cooper started every game she played and missed only two games in her WNBA career. She was originally signed by the WNBA and assigned to Houston on Jan. 22, 1997.

Prior to joining the WNBA in its first year of existence, Cooper played overseas from 1986-1997. She played in Spain and Italy and was the leading scorer eight times in 11 seasons. Cooper was also a member of the 1992 bronze-medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team and the 1988 gold-medal-winning Olympic team.

In college, she won two NCAA Championships (1983, 1984) with the University of Southern California. She led the Trojans to three Final Four appearances in four years, and currently ranks eighth on USC's all-time scoring list.

In addition to her basketball talents, Cooper has written an autobiography titled "She Got Game" and she signed a recording contract with Virgin Records in 1999. Cooper currently resides in Sugarland, Texas with her son Tyquon and four nieces and nephews. In honor of her late mother who raised eight children, Cooper founded the Mary Cobbs "Building Dream" Foundation which helps raise funds for breast cancer research in partnership with General Motors' Concept: Cure.

[Source: Mike Farmer, NBA Miami Heat & WNBA Miami Sol.]