Brittney Sykes was selected by the Atlanta Dream in the first round (seventh overall pick) on Thursday night.

The former Syracuse guard was the first Syracuse player drafted. It’s the highest an Orange player has ever been drafted. Kayla Alexander was drafted eighth overall in 2013.

Sykes averaged 13.4 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game over her career. This past year she had career highs with 19.2 points and 7.8 rebounds on her way to being selected to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference First Team. She finished her SU career third in scoring.

The Newark, New Jersey, native missed nearly all of the 2014-2015 season after suffering from her second torn ACL. She came back the next year, spending most of it recovering and regaining trust in her game and her body.

She debated leaving and entering the WNBA draft after the conclusion of last season, but decided to stick around. She frequently said throughout the season that staying was the best thing she could have done. In that time she also worked on developing her 3-point shot, something that will be crucial in the pros.

“I think she is an athletic talent, and I think she will exploit that athletic talent and challenge on someone’s roster,” Dallas Wings head coach Fred Williams said. “She’s a player that really intrigues a lot of the scouts and a lot of the coaches within the league.”