It wasn’t until 1997 when women finally got a chance to play in their own professional basketball league in this country. This lady’s career was already defined but once the WNBA arrived, she was to this league what Michael Jordan was to the NBA. Game game game, and fine. I salute you mami, mega homage.

Cynthia Lynne Cooper (born April 14, 1963 in Chicago, Illinois) is a retired American basketball player who has played in college, the Olympics, and in professional leagues, most notably with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played for the Houston Comets from 1997-2000 and again in 2003.

Cooper was voted the WNBA’s MVP in 1997 and 1998 and also won four WNBA Championships with the Houston Comets. During the Comet dynasty, she was a vital part of the triple threat offense with Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson. When retired in 2000, Cooper became the first player in WNBA history to score 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 2,500 career points. She scored 30 or more points in 16 of her 120 games and had a 92-game double-figure scoring streak from 97-00. She went on to coach the Phoenix Mercury for one and a half seasons.

Cooper returned as an active player in the 2003 season, but announced her final retirement from professional basketball in 2004.

Afterwards, she served as a TV analyst and halftime reporter for the Houston Rockets of the NBA.

Cooper was a member of the gold medalist 1988 US Olympic Women’s Basketball Team.