When she played on the other side of the country at Boston College, it was rare for Kat Cooper to look up into the stands and see her family. Their support was unquestioned, but the time change made it tricky.
Cooper kept in touch with Oregon guard Lexi Petersen, who she knew while growing up. They played club basketball for four years together. When Petersen found out the Ducks would have an open scholarship for 2015-2016, she floated Cooper’s name.
Her experience and versatility was a “win-win” addition for head coach Kelly Graves.
“It was a perfect fit for us,” Graves said. “She solidifies us. She’s a veteran player who’s been through the rigors of the ACC. It’s really not a big jump for her.”
Cooper agreed. She said it wasn’t hard to adjust to the current Oregon women’s basketball program at all. She lives with Petersen and forward Liz Brenner and hasn’t found it difficult to put in extra time to get shots up.
“I’m just trying to do all I can for the team,” Cooper said. “Whatever it is — playing hard on offense or defense or getting tips… I’m excited to play with some of the best players in the conference. Every single day, this team pushes me to be better.”
So far this season, she’s helped the Ducks stay a perfect 8-0. Against Portland, she was Graves’s first substitution off the bench, hitting a pair of 3-pointers.
Cooper relishes the chance to get into the game and initiate an offensive run. She said she hopes to be a spark every time she’s subbed in.
“She’s experienced,” Graves said. “She’s a little bit cold-blooded and she can hit a dagger. She’s the kind of player I would trust with the game-winner.”
Cooper is shooting 48.1 percent from 3-point range and is the leading scorer off the bench for the Ducks, averaging 7.4 points a game.
She had her season-high 16 points against Hampton on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range.
Her mark from 3-point range places the Ducks third in the NCAA heading into Tuesday’s 5 p.m. game against UC Riverside at Matthew Knight Arena.
Cooper, who ranks third in the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting percentage, is versatile as a guard and helps give Oregon’s post players more room to operate as opponents move out to defend her shot.
“Even when I drive, I’m looking for the dish,” Cooper said. “I love to give them the ball.”
Graves said Cooper is a laid-back Duck, but that can’t be mistaken for working hard.
“I think because she didn’t have the experience she wanted at Boston College — and now she is having that experience — she’s embodying it even more,” Petersen said. “She’s even more hungry to get out here and do everything she can for the team.”
Since high school, Cooper’s family hasn’t been able to see her play consistently. Now just over a four-hour drive away from her home town of Tacoma, Washington, Cooper won’t have to look far to find her family.
“It’s different when they can be around to see me play, rather than over the telephone,” Cooper said. “I’ve been really blessed to come here.”
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne