March 1, 2007
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Prairie View A&M's Cynthia Cooper-Dyke
To help coach the 2007 USA Women's FIBA Under-19 World Championship Team
Golden Hopes
Doug Bruno (top), a 2006 USA Basketball Co-Developmental Coach of the Year, returns with assistants Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (center) and Carol Owens to lead the USA Women's U19 National Team in its hunt for gold at the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship.
DePaul University's (Ill.) Doug Bruno has been tabbed head coach of the 2007 USA Basketball U19 Women's World Championship Team and will be assisted by two-time Olympian and Prairie View A&M University (Texas) head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke and former USA Basketball player and Northern Illinois University head mentor Carol Owens, USA Basketball today announced. The coaching staff selections were made by the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee, which is chaired by Sue Donohoe of the NCAA, and approved by USA Basketball's Executive Committee.
While Cooper will serve in her first USA Basketball coaching assignment, Bruno and Owens return to the sidelines after leading the 2006 USA Basketball Women's U18 National Team to a perfect 4-0 record and gold medal at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, held June 28-July 2 in Colorado Springs, Colo. That first place finish, along with second, third and fourth place finishes by Canada, Argentina and Brazil, respectively, qualified those four teams from the FIBA Americas zone to compete in the 2007 U19 World Championship.
USA Basketball will conduct trials for its 2007 U19 National Team from May 17-20 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., with approximately 30 U.S. hopefuls participating. The USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee also will select the finalists for the U19 National Team.
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke
A player on seven USA Basketball national teams and now the head women's coach at Prairie View A&M University, Cooper's selection is her first USA Basketball coaching assignment as an assistant for the 2007 USA Women's U19 National Team. A two-time Olympian and two-time World Championship gold medalist, Cooper has played and coached at both the professional and amateur level with incredible success.
"I am looking forward to working with Doug Bruno and Carol Owens," Cooper said. "I have very little experience coaching here in the U.S. on the collegiate level, but I've coached professionally overseas. I will be able to offer my expertise as well as learn from both of them.
"Our ultimate goal is to win gold, but I'd also like the girls to experience international basketball and help set the tone for future competitions. We need to show the world that the U.S. has the top talent and that we will have it for many years to come. In order to do that, we'll have to play great basketball with a lot of passion. That passion is something I experienced during my time with USA Basketball, and I'd like to instill that in this younger generation of athletes."
Currently wrapping up her first season as a collegiate head coach, Cooper was named the Prairie View A&M head mentor in July of 2006, and with two games remaining in her 2006-07 regular season, her Panthers are 12-13 overall and 10-4 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Currently fourth in SWAC standings, Prairie View A&M is assured a berth to the 2007 conference tournament, which will be held March 7-10, 2007.
Cooper spent two seasons (2001 and 2002) as head coach of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury. In 2003, she left the sidelines to rejoin the Houston Comets' roster but appeared in just four games because of injuries. At the age of 40 years, one month and eight days, she became the oldest woman to play in a WNBA game.
Cooper has helped USA Basketball earn no less than six gold medals and one bronze medal as a member of seven USA squads, including gold at the 1988 Olympics, the 1990 World Championship and Goodwill Games, the 1986 World Championship and Goodwill Games, the 1987 Pan Americans Games and a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics.
Cooper ranks in the top 10 in nine USA Olympic statistical categories, including single game marks of No. 1 in free throw attempts (13 vs. the Soviet Union on Sept, 27, 1988), tied for No. 1 with seven others for 3-pointers made (3 vs. Yugoslavia on Sept. 22, 1988) and tied for No. 1 with Katie Smith for 3-point percentage (3-of-3 vs. Yugoslavia on Sept. 22, 1988); and a single competition ranking of No. 3 in 3-point percentage (.462, 6-of-13 overall in 1988 and 1992). She also holds a No. 1 ranking in the USA Pan American games record book for single competition and career 3-point percentage (.625, 5 3-point FGs in 1987); a No. 1 ranking in the USA Goodwill Games record book for single competition free throw percentage (17-17 FTs in 1990) and is tied with Dawn Staley at No. 1 for the Goodwill Games single game free throw percentage (7-7 FTs vs. Soviet Union on Aug. 1, 1990). Additionally, she ranks as No. 3 in the USA World Championship record book for career field goal percentage (.619, 26-42 FGs in 1990).
Cooper first suited up for the newly formed WNBA's Houton Comets in 1997 and played five seasons (1997 through 2000 and 2003). In each of her first four seasons (1997 through 2000) she led the Comets to a WNBA title, was a unanimous All-WNBA first team selection and was named the WNBA Finals MVP. In addition, in 1997 and 1998 she was named the regular season MVP. A three-time WNBA scoring leader
(22.2 ppg. in 1997, 22.7 ppg. in 1998 and 22.1 ppg. in 1999), Cooper was a member of three WNBA All-Star starting lineups (1999, 2000 and 2003).
The first player in WNBA history to reach 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 2,500 points, she was recognized as the 1998 Women's Professional Basketball ESPY award winner and the 1998 Team Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation. She ranks No. 1 in WNBA playoff scoring average (23.3 ppg.) and No. 5 in all-time WNBA playoff points (443).
The second women in Comets' history to have her jersey (No. 14) retired, she remains Houston's all-time scoring average (21.0 ppg.) and free throw percentage (.871) leader.
Prior to the WNBA, Cooper debuted professionally in Europe, playing 11 years, including seasons in Segovia, Spain (1987); Parma, Italy (1988 through 1994 and 1997); and Alcamo, Italy (1995 and 1996). During her first 10 seasons, she finished as the league's leading scorer eight times and twice as the league's second leading scorer. In addition, Cooper led all scorers in the 1996 European Cup with 37.5 ppg., twice won the EuroLeague 3-point contest (1988 and 1992) and was selected MVP of the 1987 European All-Star game.
During her four seasons (1982-84 and 1986) as a college athlete at the University of Southern California, Cooper helped the Trojans to an overall mark of 114-15 (.884 winning percentage). In addition to participating in four NCAA Tournaments, Cooper helped her squad to capture two NCAA Championships (1983 and 1984) and reach the 1986 title game. She ranks third on the Trojan's all-time steals list (256), fifth in assists (381) and eighth in scoring (1,559 points).
:shame:
