Brittany Boyd knows a lot about the New York Liberty. The guard from California says she models her game after former Liberty point guard Cappie Pondexter.

Now Boyd will get the chance to leave her mark on the Liberty backcourt. Head coach Bill Laimbeer’s team selected Boyd with the No. 9 pick in Thursday night’s WNBA Draft.

“I thank God for this opportunity just to be here,” Boyd said. “I’m going to New York, you know. That’s something that I wanted, and I’m just happy to be here.”

She joins the Liberty backcourt with guard Epiphanny Prince, who came over from the Chicago Sky in the trade for Cappie Pondexter. Boyd says she’s excited for the opportunity to play for a team she’s seen so much of over the years.

“I used to watch Cappie [Pondexter] all the time, so that’s just like, wow,” Boyd said as he paused to take everything in. “I dreamed about playing with Cappie, but Epiphanny [Prince] is a wonderful player. I watched her game, too, when she played with the [Chicago Sky], and I’m just happy to learn from the best. I’m excited and I just can’t wait.”

The Liberty jumped into the first round twice to take Boyd and then Connecticut’s Kiah Stokes, adding a dose of youth to a team that has missed the playoffs in the first two years under Laimbeer. But Boyd is hoping to bring the things she became known for at California to the East Coast and Madison Square Garden.

“I’m ready to play,” she said. “I’m ready to come and I think one thing they’re going to get out of me is consistency and the energy. I’m just a sponge. I get to learn from the best. Epiphanny Prince, that’s like…who can say that? So, I’m excited for that opportunity.”