1-on-1 with Victoria Dunlap

Andrew Rosen, WashingtonMystics.com: Can you take us back to draft day. What was going through your mind prior to the draft?

Victoria Dunlap: It started when all the players were in a room together before the draft started. A bunch of us were just sitting around talking about it. We were all pretty anxious. Once we got in there it started to really kick in.

AR: What were your emotions when you heard your name called?

VD: I was excited. I was surprised. I was relieved to actually hear my name. I wasn’t expecting Washington to pick me, because heading into the draft I was paying attention to some mock drafts and hearing where I might go and Washington wasn’t a team I had heard. So I was definitely surprised but at the same time excited to be heading to D.C.

AR: You talked to Trudi Lacey right after you were drafted. What was her message to you?

VD: She said she was really excited about it and was really enthusiastic. I called her and told her the same thing, that I was really excited to head up there and play for the Mystics.

AR: What are you trying to work on heading into training camp?

VD: A lot of the stuff that I’ve been working on is guard-type stuff. I’ve been working on shooting threes and my ball-handling. I’m trying to get more comfortable with the ball outside on the perimeter.

AR: Do you consider yourself more of a 3 or a 4?

VD: I consider myself a 3/4. Right now in the WNBA the post players are a lot bigger than they are in college. It really depends on what they want me to play. I’m just trying to prepare myself for whatever position the coaching staff wants me to play. What I’m trying to focus on is giving myself the skill set so they’ll be able to choose whether they want me to play either position.

AR: You were a standout defensive player in college. What is your mentality on the defensive end?

VD: My defensive mentality is first of all to play hard. I just get into the mentality of not letting anybody score or get to the basket.

AR: When do you expect to come up to DC?

VD: I’ll probably get up there a couple days before training camp starts. I’m going to try to get settled in and get used to the city and try to get my mentality right.

AR: Has former Kentucky Wildcat, John Wall given you any advice on DC?

VD: No not really. When I got drafted he just said he was really happy for me. He’s looking forward to me being up there and playing and I told him he’d have to show me around the city a little bit. But mostly he was just really excited for me.

AR: Have you started following the Mystics more since being drafted and what do you know about them?

VD: Since I got drafted I’ve been paying more attention to them, looking at their roster and the team website. Most of the girls on the team I’ve seen play in college so I kind of know their game. I know they had a pretty good run last year in the regular season.

AR: Does it help to have multiple first rounders on the team and that you won’t be the only rookie?

VD: I think that definitely helps. The veterans have gone through it before so you know they will give you advice but to have someone going through it the first time with you and to understand your mentality will help. It’s just nice to have someone to talk to as you experience things for the first time.