Where Will Te’a Cooper Be Drafted? That’s A Great Question

This piece does not reflect the views of the Minnesota Lynx front office.

Te’a Cooper: 5’8, G, Baylor

College Stats in 2019-20:

30 games, 13.6 PPG, 4.6 APG, 2.3 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 43.8 FG%, 41.5 3P%, 73 FT%

Where she’ll go:

Cooper will likely be a mid to late first-round pick.

The Rundown:

What a ride it’s already been for Cooper. After starting her career out at Tennessee, she transferred to South Carolina and then played her final year of eligibility at Baylor.

That many stops in college isn’t necessarily a great sign, but that will be up to front offices to do a deeper dive on.

There’s no denying that Cooper can play. She’s able to score, but also set up teammates in a way most shooting guards can’t do. Her 4.6 assists per game prove that, especially from an off-ball spot, but she’s more than just a distributor. She can shoot. Her 41.5 percent from deep is something that should translate at the next level and makes her a really good fit in any offense. The 3-point revolution got to the WNBA a little late, but it’s certainly alive.

Cooper’s draft range will depend a lot on where other guards such as Chennedy Carter, Crystal Dangerfield and Tyasha Harris go. There are only so many guard spots needed, and this could end up being a crowded group. If a team is high on Cooper, we could see her go as early as four, but she could also slide back depending on team need and how popular the other guards are.

The thing Cooper has going for her is that she’s shown the ability to play a combo-guard if needed. Maybe that will put her over the edge.

As far as the Lynx are concerned, there is certainly a need for some help on the perimeter. Taking Cooper at six might be too early, but then again, it might not be. Nothing is set in the middle of this first-round.

And that’s important when reading these profiles. While we can guess where a player will go, we’re not the ones in the war room making the decisions.