Zia Cooke, a 5-foot-9 point guard and the No. 7 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Top 100 for the 2019 class, committed to South Carolina on Monday.
"It's been a dream of mine to be coached by Dawn Staley," said Cooke, who chose South Carolina over Tennessee and Louisville.
"It's tough making a decision between three great schools and the people that coach there," said Cooke, who also cited her admiration for Gamecocks assistant Jolette Law. "I want to make the right choice. I went with my gut."
As a junior at Rogers, Cooke averaged 24.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game and led her team to an Ohio state championship. She is a two-time gold medalist with USA Basketball, contributing to championships at the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup and the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
Cooke is an electric talent who has continued to immerse herself in the development of her game for the past four years. She is tough to contain in the open floor and delivers off the dribble, consistently wearing out the defense. She's an acrobatic game-changer in the back court.
South Carolina also has a commitment from in-state guard Olivia Thompson.
The early signing period opens Nov. 14. Five top-20 prospects remain undeclared: No. 1 Haley Jones, No. 3 Aliyah Boston, No. 9 Rickea Jackson, No. 10 Laeticia Amihere and No. 13 Breanna Beal.