California has a long, storied history when it comes to women's basketball. While many of the best athletes opted to remain close to home and compete for local colleges after high school, some ventured off to find success on the hardwood. Here's a look at the Top 5 D1 Women's Basketball players from the Golden State.
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (USC)
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, of Los Angeles, was a 5-foot-9 force to be rekoned with on the hardwood, starring on two NCAA Championship teams (1983, '84) and two USA Olympic rosters (1988, '92). During her four-year career at USC, the team went 114-15 during the regular season and 16-2 in the NCAA Tournament. Cooper-Dyke scored a total of 1,517 points (12.7 per game), with a single-season high of 620 as a senior. She also pulled down 477 rebounds (4.0 per game) and held a 48.7 career field goal percentage.
After college, Cooper-Dyke competed in Spain and Italy before entering the WNBA, where she played for five years, scoring 21.0 points per game for her career which was spent with the Houston Comets. She was named a two-time WNBA MVP, was a four-time WNBA Champion and a four-time WNBA Finals MVP. She was enshrined in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 and is currently coaching her alma mater of USC.
