Te'a Cooper
- position G
- height 5-8
- class Redshirt Sophomore
- Hometown Powder Springs, Ga.
- Previous School Tennessee
- High school McEachern
- position G
- height 5-8
- class Redshirt Sophomore
- Hometown Powder Springs, Ga.
- Previous School Tennessee
- High school McEachern
Te'a Cooper Bio
Cooper’s Career Game-by-Game Stats (PDF)
Awards
Junior Year (2018-19)
All-SEC Second Team (Coaches)
Prior to South Carolina
SEC All-Freshman Team (2016, Coaches)
SEC Freshman of the Week (Jan. 26)
High School
2015 All-America (McDonald’s, WBCA, USA Today, Parade, Max Preps)
2015 Naismith Award Finalist
International/USA Basketball
2015 USA Basketball U19 National Team Trials
2014 USA Basketball U17 World Championship Team
2013 USA Basketball U16 National Team Trials
Junior Year (2018-19)
- Earned All-SEC Second-Team honors after leading the Gamecocks with 11.9 points per game and pacing the team in scoring a team-high 12 times
- Ranked 28th in the SEC in scoring both overall and in league play (10.9 ppg) while ranking eighth in the league in free throw percentage overall and in conference play
- Scored in double figures 17 times in 30 games played, recording the Gamecocks’ only 30-point game of the season and five of the team’s 13 20-point games
- Against ranked opponents, averaged a team-high 15.1 points while handing out 2.7 assists per game against ranked foes … combined averages meant she had her hands on 21.2 points per game against ranked teams, accounting for 30.8 percent of the Gamecocks’ offense
- Gave Carolina early edge with 10 first-quarter points in NCAA Tournament second-round game against #25/22 Florida State (Mar. 24), adding a late free throw to help seal the win
- Scored 11 of her team-leading 15 points in the second half in the victory over Belmont (Mar. 22) in NCAA Tournament first round
- Scored or assisted on the first eight points at #4/5 UConn (Feb. 11) on her way to her most efficient shooting night shooting in her career (8-of-10) and 20 points despite playing just 21 minutes due to first-half foul trouble
- Last of three steals at #19/15 Kentucky (Jan. 31) ended 8-2 Wildcat run late in fourth quarter, and last of her 17 points came on a free throw with :02 to play to seal the win
- Aggressive defensively against Vanderbilt (Jan. 28) as three steals all led to Gamecock layups, including two of her own as part of her team-high 18 points
- Sank two buzzer-beater threes at #7/6 Mississippi State, including one to end third quarter and cut deficit to just one point heading into the fourth, on her way to her SEC career-high 27 points
- Scored nine of her 14 points in the first half at LSU (Jan. 13) to build a 22-point lead at halftime
- Snagged two steals in the final minute against Alabama (Jan. 6), including one with :02 left to seal the victory
- Scored 12 of her 24 points in the third quarter and sank a pair of free throws with six seconds to play to close out #21/21 Texas A&M (Jan. 3) on the road
- Averaged 19.3 points at Vancouver Showcase, including posting team’s first 20- and 30-point games of the season against #9/8 Oregon State and Drake, respectively
- Hit both of her 3s against #9/8 Oregon State (Nov. 23) in final 2:33, the last of which tied the game with 25 seconds to play … finished with 22 points, including 14 in the second half as Gamecocks erased an eight-point halftime deficit
- Scored 17, including 15 in the first half, in her Gamecock debut at Alabama State (Nov. 11), 957 days after her last college basketball game
Redshirt-Sophomore Year
- Sat out the season due to transfer rules
- Practiced with the team and traveled to postseason tournaments
Prior to South Carolina
- Spent two seasons at Tennessee, playing in 2015-16 but sitting out 2016-17 with a left knee injury
- Started 15 of her 36 games
- Was fourth on the team in scoring at 8.6 points per game, helping her to SEC All-Freshman Team honors
- Scored in double figures 15 times and was the team’s top scorer four times
- Finished third on the team in steals (43) and assists (74), leading the team in each category 10 times
- Netted 16 points against #9/9 Ohio State (Mar. 25) in the NCAA Sweet 16
- Named SEC Freshman of the Week (Jan. 26)
- Scored a career-high 23 points against ETSU (Dec. 2) on 9-of-18 shooting, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range
- Became one of just six Lady Vol freshman to ever score more than 20 points in her debut, posting 22 against Central Arkansas (Nov. 15)
High School
- Ranked No. 12 in the 2015 Class by ESPN
- Earned All-America honors from McDonald’s, WBCA, USA Today, Parade and Max Preps
- Named co-MVP of the 2015 McDonald’s All-America game
- Finalist for the 2015 Naismith Award
- Tabbed Georgia Sports Writers Association Miss Basketball (2014, 2015), Atlanta Tipoff Club Girls Metro Player of the Year (2014), Atlanta Journal-Constitution Girls’ co-Player of the Year and 6A Player of the Year (2015) and Marietta Daily Journal Cobb County Player of the Year (2014, 2015)
- Picked up Georgia 6A First-Team All-State honors twice (2014, 2015)
- Helped McEachern to three Georgia 6A state titles (2012, 2014, 2015), including a 33-0 undefeated season as a freshman
- Posted 27.3 points, 7.3 assists and 3.5 steals per game as a senior (2014-15)
Personal
- Daughter of Kindall and Omar Cooper, has three siblings – Mia and twins Sharife and Omar
- Majoring in interdisciplinary studies