EWU’s Cooper knows how to draw attention
When Chene Cooper is on the basketball court she’s almost always the center of attention.
It starts because she’s the furthest thing there is from a center – they don’t make 5-foot posts in college basketball.
“My teammates don’t notice I’m small until they stand next to me,” she said. “It’s not about size to me, it’s about heart.”
That’s obvious as Cooper has frustrated those expected to dominate her and thrown her bodily fearlessly into the battle.
Brianne Ryan is making the headlines for Eastern Washington (5-7) with her 18.8 scoring average, second in the Big Sky Conference heading into tonight’s last non-conference game against Idaho (4-7) at Reese Court. It’s Cooper that’s helping make Ryan, leading the league at 6.6 assists, to go with her 9.6 points, 2.8 steals and 3.8 rebounds.
“It’s a disadvantage being small but there are advantages to being small, too, and I think I’ve found those ways to be successful,” Cooper said.
Crafty is a word that comes to mind. She’s quick and being low to the ground makes her tough to guard. On the defensive end her teammates have her back. But maybe her biggest advantage is being under estimated.
“When I first started, I’d walk on court and people would point at me and smile,” she said. “I just wanted to show them I can play. I don’t say much.”
The truth is size, or lack thereof, has never been a factor, at least to Cooper.
“I never really noticed it,” she said. “My family is small, that’s not a surprise. My brothers are small but bigger than me. I always played up. I got used to it. Dad said you can’t teach height, but you can teach skill and work ethic.”
Cooper was a three-sport standout at Lakes High School near Tacoma, also starring in soccer and fast pitch softball, but basketball, which she took up at 3, was her passion.
There was a fair amount of interest in Cooper but bigger schools often told her they decided to sign a bigger guard. Her AAU and high school coaches, who taught her to be a pest and a vocal leader, continued to encourage her.
“They worked for me,” she said. “They said they can’t hold you down forever.”
EWU coach Wendy Schuller also believed in her and Cooper found the perfect fit.
Cooper’s 396 career assists are fifth on the career list and she is just five steals behind Lisa Comstock’s school record 212.
She was honorable mention all-league last year when she averaged 11.7 points.
Cooper has also been recognized for her academics as a criminal justice major. She hopes to be an investigator, although she is considering law school with an eye on being a prosecuting attorney.