By Victoria White '18
Efficient at three point line, when senior Taylor Cooper gets in a rhythm it seems as if she was born to play basketball.
Born into a family of college athletes, representing Aggieland has been an unforgettable experience for the Shawnee, Okla. native.
"Coming from Oklahoma, small town girl, you never think that you'll be able to represent a school like this and play on this type of stage," Cooper said. "For me to get that opportunity and take it and run with it, it's been a once in a lifetime opportunity."
The Recreation, Park & Tourism Science major graduated last May and is currently working on her masters in sports management. Her future aspirations include coaching and potentially playing professional ball overseas.
Her favorite memories include traveling with the team from the gorgeous beaches of Hawaii to the bright lights of Las Vegas.
"I'll always take [these memories] with me forever and just the time I got to spend with my teammates," Cooper said. "They're like sisters to me and through the years, I've developed best friends that I'll have for the rest of my life."
Cooper's journey to Texas A&M began with a phone call from her high school coach Wendi Willits, who played basketball for Hall of Fame head coach and current Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair, when he was at Arkansas.
'I have the perfect girl for your program that would be a great role player,' Blair remembers Willits, who won a WNBA Championship with the Los Angeles Sparks her only year in the league, mentioning.
Blair said that transferring up from a mid-level conference is rare unless it's for academics, very few ever go up because of talent.
But, Cooper had an impressive pedigree, tenacious work ethic and proven track record at Oral Roberts.
"The only year she was with them she was the best player on the team as a freshman," Blair said. "They got beat by Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. Taylor could look over there at those Tennessee players and say what's it going to take to play at that level. And she was willing to do it."
Cooper has accepted and excelled in her role on the maroon and white squad with maturity.
"If she would've stayed at Oral Roberts she probably would have been in the Hall of Fame, possibly someday there, but she showed me real quick it's not about ego, starting time and how many points she can score, she said no if I want to play at the next level I want to play for the best."
"She makes good decisions. When you want somebody coming off the bench, you want somebody that's going to fix what's broken out there," Blair said.
Last year, the 5-11 forward earned special recognition when she was chosen to receive the Miss Aggie Award.
"Miss Aggie epitomizes what you look for in an Aggie, off the court, on the court, leadership role, making good decisions, doesn't have all that drama in her life," Blair said. "[Taylor's] been through it all, she's seen it all with either herself or former teammates and she's got a sister that's a college player as well. She's just really settled down and also somebody that the other kids on the team can go to."
Cooper said it was the ultimate honor.
"[Miss Aggie] represents everything that A&M is all about off the court, on the court, in the classroom, in the community, just those core values and how you can represent A&M in a good way and take pride in A&M and being able to represent Texas A&M women's basketball," Cooper said. "It came as a shock because we had so many good players come though and so many good people all around, so for me to get that award really meant a lot."
Both of her parents were collegiate athletes for Oklahoma Baptist University with her dad Jeff playing baseball and mother Leslie playing basketball. Currently Cooper's younger sister McKenzie competes in basketball for Oklahoma Baptist and brother Austin followed his father's footsteps in baseball for OBU.
Cooper's grandfather, a standout at Oklahoma State from 1967-70, was the key influence in Cooper deciding to play basketball.
"My grandpa was the real reason why I played," Cooper said. "He played basketball for Oklahoma State. I think he got me my first basketball for Christmas and ever since then I've been dribbling the ball around. I played multiple sports in high school. I played softball too, but basketball was always the one that I really fell in love with."
"He played for Hall of Fame coach Henry Iba back when it was the Big 8 instead of the Big 12 so that was a long time ago," Cooper said, smiling. "Coach Iba's last year, his very last game was a Bedlam game against OU, my grandpa actually scored the final basket for them to win the game."
He also scored a team-high 17 points, wearing No. 55 for the Cowboys, in that game and greatly influenced his granddaughter's passion for the sport and treating every person with respect as she grew up.
"Most of what he taught me in basketball transitions to off the court as well," Cooper said. "He was always about respect and character and just playing the game the right way and play hard, taking those principles and applying those to off the court in school and just treating other people how you want to be treated."
A member of the SEC Community Service Team for the 2015-16 season, she has always had a desire to serve even from a young age.
"I remember what it was like when I was younger and I would go to Oklahoma or Oklahoma State women's basketball games and you look at those girls and you really think that they are like the best thing ever," Cooper said with a big smile.
Between mentoring fifth graders at Bonham Elementary School and serving as a volunteer coach to the Little Dribblers in Bryan, Cooper has also assisted in handing out trophies to the basketball participants of the Summerville Little Dribblers, visiting Texas Children's Hospital with the rest of the team in December and interacting sweetly with kids who attend the Aggie basketball games.
"I've seen them make T-shirts and they'll have 'Cooper 3' on the back and that makes you want to play hard and just play the right way for those kids so they can have someone to look up to," Cooper said.
She is also an active member of the Fellowship of Christian athletes. Her faith is something she uses every day.
"You're not going to have a good day every day, you're going to have bad days," Cooper said. "For me, I've been through some tough injuries the past couple years and through my playing career and that's always one thing that I've looked to just my faith and to stick with it and stay confident in what I'm doing and who I am. Just knowing whatever comes my way that I can handle it and persevere through it."
Efficient at three point line, when senior Taylor Cooper gets in a rhythm it seems as if she was born to play basketball.
Born into a family of college athletes, representing Aggieland has been an unforgettable experience for the Shawnee, Okla. native.
"Coming from Oklahoma, small town girl, you never think that you'll be able to represent a school like this and play on this type of stage," Cooper said. "For me to get that opportunity and take it and run with it, it's been a once in a lifetime opportunity."
The Recreation, Park & Tourism Science major graduated last May and is currently working on her masters in sports management. Her future aspirations include coaching and potentially playing professional ball overseas.
Her favorite memories include traveling with the team from the gorgeous beaches of Hawaii to the bright lights of Las Vegas.
"I'll always take [these memories] with me forever and just the time I got to spend with my teammates," Cooper said. "They're like sisters to me and through the years, I've developed best friends that I'll have for the rest of my life."
Cooper's journey to Texas A&M began with a phone call from her high school coach Wendi Willits, who played basketball for Hall of Fame head coach and current Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair, when he was at Arkansas.
'I have the perfect girl for your program that would be a great role player,' Blair remembers Willits, who won a WNBA Championship with the Los Angeles Sparks her only year in the league, mentioning.
Blair said that transferring up from a mid-level conference is rare unless it's for academics, very few ever go up because of talent.
But, Cooper had an impressive pedigree, tenacious work ethic and proven track record at Oral Roberts.
"The only year she was with them she was the best player on the team as a freshman," Blair said. "They got beat by Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. Taylor could look over there at those Tennessee players and say what's it going to take to play at that level. And she was willing to do it."
Cooper has accepted and excelled in her role on the maroon and white squad with maturity.
"If she would've stayed at Oral Roberts she probably would have been in the Hall of Fame, possibly someday there, but she showed me real quick it's not about ego, starting time and how many points she can score, she said no if I want to play at the next level I want to play for the best."
"She makes good decisions. When you want somebody coming off the bench, you want somebody that's going to fix what's broken out there," Blair said.
Last year, the 5-11 forward earned special recognition when she was chosen to receive the Miss Aggie Award.
"Miss Aggie epitomizes what you look for in an Aggie, off the court, on the court, leadership role, making good decisions, doesn't have all that drama in her life," Blair said. "[Taylor's] been through it all, she's seen it all with either herself or former teammates and she's got a sister that's a college player as well. She's just really settled down and also somebody that the other kids on the team can go to."
Cooper said it was the ultimate honor.
"[Miss Aggie] represents everything that A&M is all about off the court, on the court, in the classroom, in the community, just those core values and how you can represent A&M in a good way and take pride in A&M and being able to represent Texas A&M women's basketball," Cooper said. "It came as a shock because we had so many good players come though and so many good people all around, so for me to get that award really meant a lot."
Both of her parents were collegiate athletes for Oklahoma Baptist University with her dad Jeff playing baseball and mother Leslie playing basketball. Currently Cooper's younger sister McKenzie competes in basketball for Oklahoma Baptist and brother Austin followed his father's footsteps in baseball for OBU.
Cooper's grandfather, a standout at Oklahoma State from 1967-70, was the key influence in Cooper deciding to play basketball.
"My grandpa was the real reason why I played," Cooper said. "He played basketball for Oklahoma State. I think he got me my first basketball for Christmas and ever since then I've been dribbling the ball around. I played multiple sports in high school. I played softball too, but basketball was always the one that I really fell in love with."
"He played for Hall of Fame coach Henry Iba back when it was the Big 8 instead of the Big 12 so that was a long time ago," Cooper said, smiling. "Coach Iba's last year, his very last game was a Bedlam game against OU, my grandpa actually scored the final basket for them to win the game."
He also scored a team-high 17 points, wearing No. 55 for the Cowboys, in that game and greatly influenced his granddaughter's passion for the sport and treating every person with respect as she grew up.
"Most of what he taught me in basketball transitions to off the court as well," Cooper said. "He was always about respect and character and just playing the game the right way and play hard, taking those principles and applying those to off the court in school and just treating other people how you want to be treated."
A member of the SEC Community Service Team for the 2015-16 season, she has always had a desire to serve even from a young age.
"I remember what it was like when I was younger and I would go to Oklahoma or Oklahoma State women's basketball games and you look at those girls and you really think that they are like the best thing ever," Cooper said with a big smile.
Between mentoring fifth graders at Bonham Elementary School and serving as a volunteer coach to the Little Dribblers in Bryan, Cooper has also assisted in handing out trophies to the basketball participants of the Summerville Little Dribblers, visiting Texas Children's Hospital with the rest of the team in December and interacting sweetly with kids who attend the Aggie basketball games.
"I've seen them make T-shirts and they'll have 'Cooper 3' on the back and that makes you want to play hard and just play the right way for those kids so they can have someone to look up to," Cooper said.
She is also an active member of the Fellowship of Christian athletes. Her faith is something she uses every day.
"You're not going to have a good day every day, you're going to have bad days," Cooper said. "For me, I've been through some tough injuries the past couple years and through my playing career and that's always one thing that I've looked to just my faith and to stick with it and stay confident in what I'm doing and who I am. Just knowing whatever comes my way that I can handle it and persevere through it."