Draft Dreams: Victoria Dunlap
INTANGIBLES:
Kentucy
Senior
Height: 6-1
Position: Forward
STATS:
2010-11 - 17.0 points/8.8 rebounds/1.5 blocks/3.1 steals/46.3 Percent FG/31.1 minutes/game
2011 Associated Press All-America Third Team
2011 SEC Defensive Player of the Year
2011 All-SEC First Team
2011 SEC All-Defensive Team
HOW SHE FITS
From a Q&A with WNBA.com:
WNBA.com: You recorded over 300 steals in your four years at Kentucky and almost 200 blocks. Is it safe to say defense is your strong suit?
VD: Yes, I would say so. But I�m definitely expanding my offensive game to a range of outside more and not really settling for lay-ups.
WNBA.com: When you think about the WNBA and top defensive players, you can�t help but think about four-time Defensive Player of the Year Tamika Catchings. Would you say you emulate her play a bit?
VD: Not really. I mean, ever since I started playing basketball, on the first team I played for, we�d go out on the court and you�re playing defense and you�re hustling, you�re not just defending, you�re actually trying to get stops and not look at the score. So I think ever since then I�ve just had that same mindset, and on defense you�re there to keep people from scoring and getting to the basket and that�s just how I�ve always been.
That defensive mentality is at the heart of Coach Richardson's full-court pressure and trapping style of play. The Shock were amongst the league-leaders in creating turnovers in 2010 (also were amongst the teams to turn the ball over the most) and adding Dunlap to the rotation would further fuel the defensive intensity and length on the perimeter.
RELATED LINKS
Official Player Page
Q&A w/Victoria Dunlap
Other Prospects
Gonzaga - Courtney Vandersloot
North Carolina - Jessica Breland
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