Mystics select Victoria Dunlap in WNBA draft

General Manager and Coach Trudi Lacey sat at the head of a conference table in the Washington Mystics war room at Verizon Center on Monday afternoon, surrounded by phones and laptop computers. The New York Liberty had just made their selection in the WNBA draft. Now it was Washington’s turn.

Lacey spoke into one of the phones, “The Washington Mystics take Victoria Dunlap.”

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As soon as she hung up the phone, Lacey raised her arms over her head in triumph and said: “It’s done. We did it.”

After trading for center Nicky Anosike on Saturday, Washington made another move to bolster its front court by selecting Dunlap, a 6-foot-1 forward out of the University of Kentucky, with the 11th pick.

“All season long I have followed Victoria and liked her,” Lacey said. “She’s been very high on my board. She’s a great athlete. She’s agile. She has versatility and a huge heart. She is a great defender, loves to rebound, all the things I like in a player. We’re very excited.”

As expected, Connecticut standout Maya Moore was the top pick in the draft by the Minnesota Lynx. Duke guard Jasmine Thomas (Oakton High) was the final pick of the first round, going to the Seattle Storm at No. 12.

In the second round, Washington continued its trend of selecting Duke players, taking guard-forward Karima Christmas with the 23rd pick. The Mystics’ final pick was 6-4 center Sara Krnjic from Serbia in the third round at No. 35. Christmas is a defensive specialist who was selected to this year’s all-ACC tournament first team. She averaged 9.6 points and 6.3 rebounds a game last season. Krnjic averaged 16.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game for the Serbian national team.

The Mystics rated Dunlap as the fifth-best player on their draft board. The Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year is Kentucky’s second all-time scorer and rebounder. She led the league in scoring (17 points per game), field goal percentage (45.8) and steals (3.0 per game). She also ranked fourth in rebounding (8.7 per game) and fifth in blocks (1.5 per game).

Lacey clearly values defense and Dunlap’s skills in that area put her at the top of Washington’s wish list. When Mystics assistant coach Marianne Stanley, who is coaching in Russia and joined the war room via Skype, mentioned that Dunlap had 100 steals last season, Lacey chimed in, “You know I like that defense.”

Dunlap said she was “very surprised” to be drafted by the Mystics.

“I wasn’t expecting Washington at all,” Dunlap said. “I’m just happy with the pick.”

Although Lacey said she envisions Dunlap playing closer to the basket, she can see a time when she will play more on the wing.

“She’ll probably be a better power forward at the four spot,” Lacey said. “She’s been working on her perimeter game so eventually she may get some time at the three spot.”

For her part, Dunlap seems focused on what she can do for the team defensively more than offensively.

“I think my role is just bringing a lot of energy and a lot of intensity, especially on the defensive end and going to the boards,” she said. “That’s basically what I did a lot of at Kentucky. . . . Whatever position they look for me to be in that’s what I’ll do, whether its on the block or on the wing, I’m comfortable with either spot.”

One person who is thrilled to have a fellow Kentucky Wildcat joining him in Washington is Wizards rookie John Wall, who tweeted, “Yessir, welcome my buddy @vickydeez34 to Washington . . . We got a good one!”