Inside the Huddle | 'This is Where I'm Supposed to Be': Cook Stays Loyal to Coaching Staff, Dominates in Second Season at Illinois

The first time Makira Cook stepped foot on a basketball court, she wore a cheerleading outfit. Attending a youth boys basketball game to “look pretty and be a cheerleader,” Cook knew she needed to be out on the court. Her destiny – she knew, even as a kindergartener – was to be a basketball player, not a cheerleader.

She made some small hints to her parents, often taking advantage of the brief halftime intermission or timeout breaks to take shots and dribble the ball. 

Sure, there were also some not-so-subtle clues, too. Cook was quite vocal about her disinterest in cheerleading and her fascination for basketball.

“Mom, I'm gonna be playing in the next game.”

“There's no way I'm gonna be cheering when I should be the one playing.”

“I need to be out there playing with them.”

Cook finally got her way after about three weeks of back-and-forth bickering, quitting cheer and starting basketball instead. That decision was the start of an unforgettable journey for Cook and her family, a journey that has taken them all across the country and, now, to Illinois, where Cook competes in her second season.

“I would get her up every Saturday. I would get her hair done. My hairdresser would do her hair and put a ponytail and a big bow in there. We would go to the game, and she was sitting there on the sideline pouting,” said Glynett Smith, Cook’s mother. “I said, ‘What's the matter, Makira? Get up and cheer!’ We didn't even last the whole season. I was just so tired of wrestling with her every day. 

“Then, I said, ‘You know what, she probably does like basketball, so let's go down this journey and see how basketball ends up for her.’ Ever since then, she has been training, working, and playing basketball. She loved it.”

Cook grew up playing sports with her brothers and with kids from her neighborhood in Cincinnati. The group would compete in a range of activities, and she credits that atmosphere for helping her toughen up, both physically and mentally. 

“I learned how to be super tough,” Cook said. “An example would be me and one of my brothers, we would ride bikes all day. We would just go MIA. This was before we had phones. If one of us fell, we would get right back up. They kind of roughed me up and made me really tough.”

Once Cook reached second grade, she began working with a basketball trainer, who helped her develop her ball-handling skills and her discipline. Going to train three days a week, Cook went all-in on the sport, and it quickly became apparent she had the talent and work ethic to take her game to the next level.

Trying out for a fourth-grade AAU team while only in second grade, Cook earned a spot on the squad despite being much smaller than a majority of her teammates and opponents. The group traveled around the country to compete among the best youth programs in the nation, and her team went on to nationals every year.

She may not have played much, often having to watch from the bench due to her smaller stature, but Smith knew her daughter was enjoying the experience albeit while not being on the court very frequently.

“She was just so little, but she had the skill set, the mindset on the court, the vision, and the discipline in second grade to play with those fourth-graders,” Smith said. “Her being in second grade and to make a team for fourth-graders, it was tremendous to me. At that point, her running up and down a court with them, seeing how they practiced, getting that discipline with those older kids, I thought that would be really good even if she didn't play a lot. It let me know, 'Hey, this may be her sport.'”

It was not until Cook reached middle school that she recognized her potential in basketball. She was still playing – and dominating – other sports, after all. Cook played softball through middle school, starring at both third base and shortstop. That was actually the sport Smith thought her daughter would end up pursuing, but Cook had other plans.

Volleyball also came naturally to Cook, who was quite frank with an evaluation of her abilities in the sport, calling her skill level “very mid.” 

Cook’s passion for basketball outmatched both softball and volleyball. Smith would often look at the window and find her daughter shooting hoops or doing behind-the-backs and dribbling drills in the backyard. Basketball was clearly the sport for her, and Cook did everything she could to be the best she could possibly be.

That included drawing a basketball court on the walls of her bedroom, complete with little movable X’s and O’s that she would use to design plays. Yes, her mom was not happy about having drawings all over the wall, but Smith could not help but be impressed by Cook’s passion and focus when it came to basketball.

Opting to attend Mount Notre Dame High School, Cook focused solely on basketball, leaving behind both softball and volleyball once she entered high school. Though she liked the school for academic reasons, Cook quickly became a key part of the girl’s basketball program.

Entering the state playoffs as one of the top teams in Ohio, Cook was forced to watch from the bench after being sidelined with a foot injury, which she suffered in a intrasquad scrimmage before the team’s first playoff game. The Cougars closed the 2016-17 campaign on an 11-game winning streak, which saw MND secure the OHSAA Division-I state title.

Though unable to play, Cook still tried to remain involved in the team, and she embraced the challenges and learning opportunities thrown her way.

“At that age, I was just excited to be there,” Cook said. “With my injury, there was no possible way I could play. I was just genuinely enjoying the moment. I learned a lot watching. I still feel like you get experience from being in the arena, so I just enjoyed myself.”

Returning the following season after sitting out for months due to injury, Cook helped Mount Notre Dame secure a conference title in 2018. The following year, MND returned to the pinnacle with its second state title in three seasons. Cook called the postseason run “more special” because she was able to actually contribute, and she totaled eight points in the championship game.

After watching her daughter fight through injuries and ultimately return to win a second state title, Smith viewed the experience as the culmination of a lifetime of hard work and resilience.

“She just didn't give up,” Smith said. “It was everything to see her, the tears in her eyes, the tears in my eyes, and see the team come together. They played hard. They wanted to win, and that's just what they did. That's every parent's dream.”

Mount Notre Dame seemed destined for a third title in four years, advancing to the state semifinals with an unblemished 28-0 record in 2020. They were about to board the bus to the Final Four when they found out the remainder of the season had been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though Cook was unable to close out her high-school career with a third championship, the team had a three-day sleepover instead, celebrating the group’s incredible unbeaten run. As the top-ranked team in Ohio and one of the top-10 programs in the country, MND had a target on its back all season and never wavered.

For Cook, the pandemic brought her high-school career to an end two games earlier than expected, but she knows she left behind an unrivaled legacy at Mount Notre Dame.

“I feel like people at that school definitely know my name and will remember my name,” Cook said. “In the Cincinnati area, when people think of MND, they think of the trailblazers, even some before me and a couple after myself. I can always go back, and it'll always be home whenever I go.”

Cook’s basketball career continued at Dayton, where she spent two years under current Illini head coach Shauna Green. The connection with the coaching staff was seamless, and both Smith and Cook knew playing for Coach Green was where she was meant to be.

“It's more than just basketball with Coach Green and Makira. They have a relationship that's like no other for me,” Smith said. “She doesn't try to sell you anything. Everything she tells you is at face value. She doesn't make promises to you. What you see is what you get, and I love her for that because Makira needs that type of leadership over her. I could speak volumes about her and her staff and how they have impacted my family's life.”

Going to college about an hour from home, Cook enjoyed the fact that she could be close to her family. She spent two seasons playing for the Flyers, winning back-to-back Atlantic 10 regular-season titles and all-conference second-team honors in 2022.

Cook’s Dayton career came to a close after the 2021-22 campaign, when she found out Green would be leaving the program to take the head-coaching job at Illinois. 

It soon became clear that Cook wanted to join Green and the coaching staff in Champaign. There simply was not another coach Cook wanted to play for.

“I knew who I wanted to play for, but obviously we couldn't have any communication,” Cook said. “I think she just trusted me a lot.” 

Signing with the Illini women’s basketball program on April 10, 2022, Cook did not skip a beat in the transition from the A-10 to the Big Ten, earning all-conference first-team honors after her debut season with the Orange and Blue. She was a big factor in the team’s 15-win turnaround, and she became the first Illini to earn first-team status from both coaches and media since 2010.

Loyalty played a big factor in Cook’s decision to reunite with Coach Green at Illinois, Smith says. The coach-player relationship is as strong as ever, and it has continued to strengthen over the last several months.

“With Makira, it takes her a while to get to know you and really loosen up to you,” Smith said. “To her, loyalty is everything. When you're loyal to a person, there's nothing to any degree that you won't do for that person. It's a really great family to be part of.”

Adjusting to a new city, a new campus, and an almost entirely new roster, Cook embraced the doubts and challenges thrown her way. All it did was fuel her to be the best version of herself.

“In my mind, I feel like as long as I'm following the path I'm supposed to, I'm gonna have success,” Cook said. “I truly believe this is where I'm supposed to be. I know it is. Success will always follow as long as you work hard and be a good person.”

Cook’s historic 2022-23 campaign saw her earn an opportunity to compete for a spot on USA Basketball’s Women’s AmeriCup Team this past summer. One of five finalists for the final few spots, Cook ultimately came up just short.

But, like all adversity thrown her way, she looked on the bright side by cherishing the experience and expressing gratitude to even be among the last few contenders.

Basketball has opened doors of endless possibilities for Cook, who has gone from a basketball cheerleader to one of the best players in the Big Ten. She continues to rewrite history and add on to an already-impressive resume in her senior season at Illinois.

“I never know what's gonna come next. I don't know most of the people who know me, and I say that very humbly. I never know who is looking to give me a genuine opportunity or things like that,” Cook said. “I never knew I would come to Illinois. It's just opened so many doors. It's been awesome.”

Smith has seen her daughter go from riding the bench as the smallest girl on her team to averaging the second-most minutes per game in the Big Ten. The family’s basketball journey has taken them across conferences, and Smith can’t help but smile as she reflects on her daughter’s dominance at the collegiate level.

“When you're blessed with a gift, which she is, there's no boundaries for it. There's no limits on anything,” Smith said. “She can walk on a court, be a leader, do what she's supposed to do, and play basketball. Literally every game, I'm like, 'Man, she just amazes me. God, you blessed me with her.' I always knew that she could be at this level. It really is amazing. I know she has a lot of weight on her, and she handles it with poise at all times. 

“I'm truly blessed to have a daughter like her.”