By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Nineteen years after the finest career in Cincinnati women's basketball history, Cheryl Cook still plays three times a week in a recreational league.

"I've still got it, if that's what you're asking," she said.

Basketball has never been far from Cook's mind. In fact, she took a job this week in Phoenix in part because she aspires to coach professionally.

"I wanted to go somewhere where there was a WNBA team," she said. "One of the players I played with overseas, Jennifer Gillom (of the L.A. Sparks), used to play for the Phoenix Mercury and told me about the city, the organization. Maybe I can meet the people ... and be a part of it."

The job Cook took is as operational manager for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office's rehabilitation facility. She'll oversee adults in that system in the manner she did for ages 11-25 for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. That was her role the past 4 1/2 years in Cleveland; Cook previously did similar work for six years in her hometown of Indianapolis.

Yet Cook remains fond of talking about her playing days, when she was known as the "Cookie Monster" and twice earned All-America honors.

Cook's career total of 2,367 points is still well ahead of UC's No. 2 all-time scorer - Valerie King, who reached 2,000 last weekend. Cook also finished her career in 1985 as the school's career assist leader - she now ranks fourth - and still ranks sixth on the all-time rebounding list. She remains the only UC woman to have her number retired.

Cook helped the U.S. national teams win gold at the 1983 Pan-American Games and 1983 World Championships, though an ankle injury during tryouts snuffed her chances of making the 1984 Olympic team.

After college, she played four seasons in Spain and two in Italy. Cook said she led the Spanish league in scoring with a 38.9-point average during her tenure and averaged 25.7 points in Italy. But she regrets that the WNBA didn't exist then.

"I guess I was born in the wrong era," Cook said. "But I was blessed to play overseas, make money and see the world."