Christi Thomas, who was a veteran on a young Georgia women’s basketball team over the past season, will now be one of the younger members of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.

Thomas, a senior forward from Buford, was selected No. 12 by the Sparks with the team’s first round pick Saturday.

Although Thomas was projected by some to be a top 10 pick, she said she’s elated to be picked by the Sparks, who were the 2003 WNBA runner-up and claimed the league title the previous two years.

“I was sweating bullets after the first nine or 10 picks, but when they said my name we all screamed and I was too happy,” Thomas said. “I’m obviously excited and ready.”

Over a span of four years, Thomas averaged 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Lady Bulldogs while being named All-SEC and All-America honorable mention in the process.

Sparks head coach Michael Cooper, who played a large part in the Los Angeles Lakers’ dynasty in the 1980s, is excited to have Thomas as part of his team.

“We are very excited to have a lady of her caliber, who comes from a great basketball program, like Georgia,” said Cooper in a team press release.

“If I had to, I’d compare her to a female version of Tim Duncan,” he said in the release. “She’s really an excellent addition to our front court. She will be a great compliment to Lisa Leslie and Delisha Milton.”

The Sparks are a team that has not only made a name for itself with its recent success but also with Leslie, one of the top players in the WNBA.

Leslie, who plays forward for the Sparks, is a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player and was also the league’s leading scorer in 2002.

She has also played in the Olympic Games twice.

With her selection, Thomas becomes the first Lady Bulldog to be selected in the first round since Tawana “Tweety” McDonald was selected in 2001 and the tandem of Coco and Kelly Miller in 2002.

“I sort of equate it to my freshman year here at Georgia when I came in to join a great group of seniors like Coco, Kelly and ‘Tweety’,” Thomas said.

“Going to L.A., I’m joining a team with great players such as Lisa Leslie and Nikki Teasley,” she said. “I’m looking forward to playing with them and learning from them.”