AU stars Zia Cooke, Aneesah Morrow stand out in WNBA preseason games
Wednesday night’s WNBA preseason games were highlighted by strong performances from two Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball standouts, Aneesah Morrow and Zia Cooke, as both made early cases for leading roles with their respective teams.
Here’s a look at how the two AU stars delivered in their preseason outings.
Aneesah Morrow powers Connecticut Sun comeback win
Aneesah Morrow came off the bench and changed the game for the Connecticut Sun, finishing with a team-high 21 points in the 83-78 win over the Toronto Tempo. The second year forward shot an efficient 7-of-10 from the field and added a game-high seven rebounds.
The Sun trailed by as many as 13 points in the third quarter and were still down by nine in the fourth before closing on a 17-7 run with help from the energy Morrow sparked off the bench.
On the opposing side, fellow 2026 AU competitor Kia Nurse made history, scoring the first basket in Tempo franchise history with a three-pointer. The Canadian guard finished with eight points and a steal in front of a sellout home crowd.
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Zia Cooke adds 19 off the bench in Seattle Storm’s preseason victory
Zia Cooke posted a strong performance of her own, scoring 19 points off the bench in the Seattle Storm’s 91-81 win over the Portland Fire. Cooke, who re-signed with the Storm during free agency, shot 5-of-12 from the field and went 5-of-7 from the free-throw line. She finished as the team’s second-leading scorer.
The Storm built an early 27-19 lead after the first quarter, carried a 45-42 edge into the break, and pulled away late behind a stronger second-half push.
Fellow AU guard Lexie Brown added six points for Seattle, along with six rebounds, three steals, and an assist in the preseason contest. Across from her, AU teammate Sarah Ashlee Barker helped lead the Portland Fire with 14 points, while adding six rebounds, three assists, and a steal in the loss.
After averaging 10 minutes per game during her time in Seattle last season, Cooke’s preseason showing may help make a case for more minutes in the future as the Storm prepares for the regular season.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
