Basketball Star Te'a Cooper In Workout Gear “Been On My Grind”

WNBA star Te'a Cooper is gearing up for her strongest summer ever! The 26-year-old Los Angeles Sparks point guard shared a video of herself wearing black shorts and a matching tank top, going through an intense weight training workout at the gym. “Let’s turn the summer up ‼️💪 #beenonmygrind👑,” she captioned the post. “I love everything you are doing for women in sports, keep inspiring women all over the world! 🐐” a fan commented. Here’s how Cooper stays fit, focused, and on top of her game.

1. Solo Workouts

Cooper was forced to adjust her training schedule after getting injured at University of Tennessee. “I had to go to practice at, like, six in the morning by myself, and my dramatic self, I felt like I was all alone,” she told Slam Online. “I’m like, it was just me against the world. You know you play sad music to make you sadder? Jhene Aiko has a song called ‘W.A.Y.S.’ and I had it on repeat, walking through the gym, and I worked out by myself. You don’t have anybody to push you when you’re working out by yourself, but I had to run sprints by myself, like, who was I racing? I had to find that in myself and that was…ooh, it took me a minute to do that.”

2. Vegan Diet

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Cooper says going vegan for a few months positively impacted her energy levels. “A variety of vegan foods are rich in protein,” say the experts at Harvard Health. “They include soybean products (tofu, edamame, tempeh), seitan, lentils, beans or peas, nutritional yeast, spirulina, soy milk, cashew milk, nuts and seeds, nut and seed butters, veggie burgers, and meat alternatives.”

3. Sports Illustrated Model

Cooper is thrilled to have posed for Sports Illustrated. “When I got the call, I initially [thought], ‘Did they call the right person?’” she told the magazine. “It kind of felt like I was getting ready for a game. It was really comfortable. I was super excited to just be with them and see them be out of their element, too. They are so empowering. They just really make you comfortable in your own skin.”

4. Hair Entrepreneur

Cooper is proud to have her own hair brand called Hollywood Luxury Hair. “Anyone can sell hair, but I think making the customer experience personable and relatable is what sets us apart,” she told Femina Magazine. “We want people to feel like they are buying hair from someone they know and trust while knowing they will get a great product out of the experience.”

5. Acceptance and Growth

Cooper has a glass-half-full approach to life. “I think people think my life is so perfect because I never look defeated,” she told rolling out. “No matter what I’m going through, I’m always excited about what’s next. Something terrible could have happened, but I’m excited that I’m still alive to be able to learn from that and grow from it... Learn what you can control. Anything that you can’t control, just leave it alone.”

WNBA star Erica Wheeler is showing off her spectacular boxing skills on social media (just add it to the list of things she excels at). Wheeler, 32, posted a video of herself wearing black Adidas workout gear and sparring with coach Vinnie Calautti, joking “I will knock you out” before conceding defeat over her “noodle arms”. The Indiana Fever star has worked hard her whole life to play professional ball—here’s what her game philosophy looks like.

1. Basketball Drills

Basketball shooting drills keep Wheeler sharp and ready for action. “You have to train your mind,” she told Adidas. “And how do you train your mind? Consistently doing something the same way and doing it harder and harder and getting better and better. With time you become more talented because you become more consistent. I think with practice comes muscle memory. My body knows what it's going to do before I even tell it to do it, because I've been doing it so long.”

2. Lifting Heavy Weights

Wheeler lifts heavy weights as part of her training—and she’s thrilled with every step of progress she makes. “I’ve never lifted anything over 200 lb!” she captioned an Instagram video. “Last week I hit 250 lb, I was hype bout that! Then somebody said I couldn’t hit 300 lb! NOTED! Today I got up to 315 lb 😳 I probably could’ve went to 325 but my trainer crazy, but he wasn’t on demon time today 😂.”

3. Family First

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Wheeler had offers from colleges such as LSU, South Carolina, and UConn, but chose Rutgers University after meeting their head coach C. Vivian Stringer. “The conversation was super family-orientated because we just started talking about food, it wasn’t even about basketball,” Wheeler told WSLAM. “I think the one thing that stuck out to my mom was I never left home, so she felt more comfortable with me going to Rutgers because of how Vivian approached our family.”

4. Popular Player

Wheeler’s teammates at the Indiana Fever love her energy and work ethic. “She’s been so great,” says Fever head coach Stephanie White. “She’s fun. She’s a hard worker. She’s a great teammate and she’s really the perfect fit for our franchise because of her commitment to the defensive end, her toughness and her energy. That’s exactly what we want; hungry players who want to be better for each other.”

5. Open Mind

Wheeler keeps an open mind when it comes to sports. “I don't close my mind to anything,” she told Adidas. “When it comes to basketball, you can elevate your game in so many ways, whether it's dribbling, whether it's how to read the game, whether it's a simple drill to tighten up your handling... Always give a pat on the back, because at the end of the day nobody's a real loser if you're going hard. You got to take some losses, but if you’re competing and you're doing it at the highest level you can, you're not losing. You're just getting better.”

WNBA star Breanna Stewart went into 2024 with good intentions and lots of gratitude. Stewart, 29, shared a picture of herself wearing a blue shirt and gray shorts, beaming with happiness as she posed on the court. “How I’m entering 2024… with love, happiness & my people,” she captioned the post. “Happy New Year Stewie! 2024 is going to be even more amazing, if that’s possible 😜,” commented Rennae Stubbs. Here’s what Stewart’s diet, training, and recovery regimen looks like, and the home-cooked meal her fellow athletes go crazy for.

1. Basketball Training

Stewart says basketball is the best workout. "I don’t really know any other speed than basketball. I’ve just been playing it forever,” she told Red Bull. “It’s a stop-and-go game. You can be running up and down for a while, then stop, then you have to go again. We don’t do much conditioning work during the season, because we’re playing almost three games each week. But during the preseason we do some sprints on the court, and riding the Airdyne bike, which really sucks—whether you’re in shape or not, you’re dying on that thing. And a lot of different cardio machines and kinds of cardio exercises. And just playing—nothing compares to it."

2. Weight Training and Pilates

Stewart uses weights to build strength and muscle. "I need to make sure that my body is ready and that means getting in the weight room,” she told Red Bull. “I just work everything—upper and lower body. I also do Pilates to make sure that my core is strong. When I’m on the court, I’m using everything, so I want to make sure that my whole body is ready to go. I usually spend an hour in the gym, then we spend about two hours on the court for practice. I do drills—like I’ll work on my post game. It helps to have someone to work with you to make sure you’re getting pushed. After practice, I do an hour of shooting drills. I like to have a schedule and keep things consistent.”

3. Spicy Rigatoni For the Team

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Stewart’s mother makes incredible rigatoni noodles for her teammates. "My mom makes these chicken riggies that are off the chart,” she told Sports Illustrated. “She usually makes it when I have a team over or my family gets together because it's a bigger dish. It's rigatoni noodles with chicken and a tomato sauce. She can add red pepper flakes to make it spicier. She puts diced tomatoes in it, and she can add peppers and all types of things. I made it for my team when I was at UConn because they'd had it before—my mom would bring me leftovers that she'd frozen, and the team came to my house one time and she made it. I don't want to say it was as good as my mom's, but they all approved."

4. Pre-Game Meal

Stewart loves asparagus, which is low in calories yet packed with nutrients. "[I had a] pre-game meal of penne with meat sauce, brown rice, mashed sweet potatoes, and of course, asparagus," she told USA Today. "I could eat asparagus pretty much every day and not get tired of it."

5. Steam Room and Cold Tub

Stewart knows how important recovery and rest days are for athletes. “My muscles get really tight, so I’ll get them worked on before and after practice,” she told Red Bull. “I like going in the steam room and the hot tub; that makes my body feel good on the day after games. And doing yoga and really all the recovery things—the foam rolling, muscle flossing, the list goes on and on. I’ll go in the hot tub before practice and the cold tub after. The cold tub helps get the lactic acid and everything out of your legs. I try to make sure that I’m doing everything I can to keep my body feeling good. I want to stay ahead of letting my body break down, which allows injuries to happen.”

WNBA star and free agent Te'a Cooper has clearly learned to love swimsuit photoshoots since appearing in Sports Illustrated. Cooper, 26, enjoyed some downtime by hitting the pool, and shared the photos on her Instagram. The athlete can be seen posing in the water in a vibrant red bikini, completing the look with a beautiful blue necklace and dark sunglasses, her hair pulled into a ponytail. “Te’a SWIM WEEK 💦🫶 @target,” she captioned the post. “My girly,” commented fellow player Angel Reese. Here’s how Cooper stays fit, beautiful, and on top.

1. Vegan Diet

Cooper cooks her own meals as much as possible. “I recently just tried going vegan for a few months and it was great,” she says. “I felt great. My body felt great. I had a lot of energy. It’s just refreshing. This past year, I just started cooking regularly. I cook breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, so I’m just now getting into that. I guess you can really tell the difference more if you aren’t an athlete, but I really did feel the effect of eating vegan foods in the off-season. Energy-wise, during the day, when I’m not doing anything and I’m not sleepy without practicing stuff, I think that’s when I felt the difference more. It’s a huge difference, honestly.”

2. Sports Illustrated Model

Cooper is a Sports Illustrated model, and while she was surprised to be asked to take part, she was thrilled in the end. Being with her fellow athletes at the shoot in St. Thomas helped make her feel more comfortable. “When I got the call, I initially [thought], ‘Did they call the right person?’” she joked.“It kind of felt like I was getting ready for a game. It was really comfortable. I was super excited to just be with them and see them be out of their element, too. They are so empowering. They just really make you comfortable in your own skin.”

3. Embrace the Roller Coaster

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Cooper believes in embracing the journey, both ups and downs. “Everything’s not always gonna be up — it’s a roller coaster,” she says. “Sports teaches you the beauty of the ups and downs… I think for mental health purposes, enjoy that roller coaster. So, you know, things happen, but it always has a way of working out. So no matter where I am in life, I just feel like it’s gonna work out. Unfortunate things happen, but it’s like I’ve been there before, been down before, so I’m gonna be up soon, and I just kind of stay humble and stay in the middle and just stay steady, honestly.”

4. Fashion Forward

Cooper loves how the WNBA players are becoming known for their fashion as well as their skills. “I took the game day ‘fits very seriously,” she says. “I would say embracing your own style and confidently walking in your own style [is important]. How you see yourself and what you put out there — the evolution of you and just seeing your style grow — I think is the most interesting aspect of it. I love fashion and I definitely want to be on a runway someday!

5. Self-Care Is Self-Love

For Cooper, self-care is about a healthy lifestyle. “I think really, a lot of things are mental,” she says. “People think eating healthy is like you’re on a diet or you’re trying to lose weight when really it can be a lifestyle. Like you just wanna be cleaner, you just wanna be healthier mentally, physically, emotionally, and some of that has to do with your food. I think just focusing on yourself and making sure you feel good is the best advice I can give. Everybody’s story is different and everybody’s emotions are different, so my advice won’t help somebody who’s not me—but just taking care of yourself could help everybody.”

WNBA Star Skylar Diggins-Smith works out and trains for hours every day, a routine any athlete would find challenging at times—which is why discipline, not motivation, is so important. Diggins-Smith, 33, shared a video montage of herself wearing black leggings and a black t-shirt, training hard with “consistency” written in text over the footage. “It hits different when you’re dangerously disciplined,” she captioned the post. Here’s how the athlete stays strong and focused.

1. Breakfast Is a Must

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Diggins-Smith never skips a protein-packed breakfast—usually scrambled eggs, oatmeal, avocado, or an omelet. “Breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day for me,” she told ELLE. “As the day goes on, you just never know what's going to happen so I think you should get the adequate amount of fuel in your system, [otherwise] it's like having a car on ‘E.’ I think it's so important to get, you know, protein in before I get up and go to practice since I have to work out and stuff like that so I'm not burning off any muscles. To me, that's the one thing I need to start my day.”

2. Living In the Gym

Diggins-Smith’s training changes during the on season. "I start practice around 7:45 a.m. with weights or individual shooting,” she told Refinery29. “We have team practice from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with film, and then we'll cool down and leave around 2 p.m. On game days, we shoot around in the morning, walk through some plays, and then it's game time. During the season you literally live in the gym. I train in bunches because you don't want to peak too early. Off season is all about maintenance. I do yoga, Pilates, meditation, and weights to train different aspects of my body."

3. Pre-Game Carbs

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Diggins-Smith enjoys the same pre-game meal every time. "Chicken pasta with garlic bread (yes, seriously) is my go-to pre-game meal,” she told Refinery29. “I need something carb-heavy to last me until after the game. There's a misconception that you should cut out carbs, but carbohydrates are so essential for what we do as athletes."

4. Mental and Physical Work

Diggins-Smith goes the extra mile every time to give her best as an athlete. “Yeah, you work hard, but do you go game speed every rep?” she told Complex. “Do you take off reps? What's your mentality? Not just physical. What's your mental like? Are you mentally tough? Are you a leader? Do you watch basketball, or do you just play? Do you study the game? Do you watch film? Do you rest and recover? Do you lift? Do you ice your knees every time?”

5. Inspiring Young Athletes

Diggins-Smith genuinely loves giving back to young fans. "When I was a kid, you went outside and rode your bike or went to the playground,” she told Refinery29. “Now, when you drive by a park, kids aren't there anymore. In this age, we have an issue with technology not inspiring exercise. So to empower young women, I share what sports did for me. I do camps all around the country for grade-school-aged kids and talk about the life lessons that came from the game.”