Lindsey Moore, who graduates from the University of Nebraska May 4, will have less than 24 hours before she starts her first job after college.

A graduate of Kentwood High, Moore was selected in the first round of the WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx April 15.

She reports to training camp the day after she will receive a degree in communications.

“It’s time to get to work and start your job,” Moore said. “It was pretty funny, I was picking up my cap and gown and there’s people asking me if I have a job after college. I was like, ‘Mmhmm. Yes, I do.’”

Despite holding a number of records for the Cornhuskers, the 5-foot-9 point guard said in a phone interview April 17 she wasn’t even aware of the possibility she was a professional prospect until the middle of this past season.

“For the most part I was really focused on my season,” Moore said. “Every once in a while people would say, ‘Have you looked at the potential draft boards? You’re on there.’”

Moore was surprised the first time it came up, but, when agents started contacting her prior to the draft she knew it could happen.

This comes after an incredible high school career at Kentwood which she capped off with a 4A state championship her senior year in 2009 before heading to Nebraska where she started all four years and helped the Cornhuskers make consecutive Sweet 16 appearances in the women’s NCAA Division I tournament. She set two single-season records during her senior campaign and holds four career records.

Moore is also the only player in Nebraska basketball history — men’s or women’s — to start on two different Sweet 16 squads.

Though if you asked her early in the season if the Huskers were going to make it back to the tournament, much less the Sweet 16, Moore may have been a bit doubtful.

“It was weird because we started off the Big 10 season 2-3,” Moore said. “At that point I was like there was no way we’re going to make the tournament if we don’t turn it around, then sure enough we went on a 10 game winning streak. We were playing for seeding when it came to our conference tournament.”

Moore said she loved her time at Nebraska. She hopes she’s helped lay the foundation for the women’s team to make deep tournament runs every season.

“It’s been so much fun to be a Cornhusker,” she said. “My career here has been unbelievable. “It’s been such a great experience to be here … and coming away from it not just being a good player but also being a better person.”

Moore credits her high school coach Keith Hennig for preparing her for the transition to the college game.

“I was able to take that and improve upon those skills that he taught,” Moore said. “I wouldn’t be in this place in my career and the possibility of playing in the WNBA if it wasn’t for him.”

But, there’s not much that can prepare someone for the whirlwind of the WNBA draft. Moore was one of 12 college players invited to the WNBA draft. She got a call April 11, a Thursday, that she was invited. She arrived in Bristol, Conn., the site of the draft, and spent the weekend in meetings that covered everything a WNBA prospect would need to know.

Then April 15, a Monday, the invitees attended a luncheon with staff from ESPN. From there, Moore said, they went to get hair and makeup done. Finally, she spent some time with her family for a couple of hours then she was on set with the other 11 players for the draft.

Though Moore said she dreamt of playing in the WNBA even before she put on the Kentwood uniform, it was not something she counted on.

“I never thought it would happen,” Moore said. “It was definitely a surprise. It was kind of a shock when I went up there and they called my name. I never would have thought I would be one of the 12 invited and someone would call my name and I would go up there and they would take my picture with a jersey.”

Moore was the 12th pick in the draft. Part of the shock came by the team which drafted her. She was expecting a couple of other teams to select her based on phone calls and talk about interest. Minnesota was not on the radar.

Though it seemed like a dream, Moore thought to herself as it happened that she couldn’t wait to call her parents or her two older sisters.

She had to wait, though, until after she got off the set to get her cell phone and make those calls. No one wants a cell phone to go off during the selection process.

“I picked up my phone and it literally wouldn’t stop vibrating,” Moore said. “At that point, I had 75 messages, a ridiculous amounts of tweets, Facebook notifications, my phone was blowing up. It was a really cool thing to experience, especially for my family. I know that they’re proud of me. They’re so supportive of me.”

In fact, when the Lynx selected her, Moore said, her family instantly became fans of the Minnesota team which played in the WNBA Finals in 2012. The next step for her family, Moore said, was to find out when Minnesota travels to Seattle to play.

While she still has some business to take care of at Nebraska in terms of classes and finals, Moore is ready to start the next phase of her basketball career. She will back up Lindsay Whalen, a 10-year WNBA veteran and Olympic gold medalist.

Moore sees considerable opportunity in her role for the Lynx.

“We have a great point guard in Lindsay Whalen, so, it will be about giving her breaks,” Moore said. “I’m excited to get in the league and learn as much from her as I can and watch her lead. I just want to be a good backup point guard for her.”

Moore said she hopes to remain a part of basketball even after her playing career ends —maybe coaching or officiating.

“It will be hard for me to go cold turkey,” she said. “I think I’ll need (basketball) in some way in my life.”

For now, though, she can enjoy her last days as a college student and mentally prepare for the WNBA.

“I can’t wait to go; I can’t wait to go play,” she said. “It’s really fun to reflect on everything that’s happened this past week and look forward to what I have coming up.”

Reach Assistant Editor Kris Hill at khill@covingtonreporter.com or 425-432-1209 ext. 5054.