Mohegan - The Connecticut Sun began reshaping their roster Wednesday as they traded Kara Lawson to the Washington Mystics in return for fellow guard Alex Bentley.

Bentley a 2013 WNBA All-Rookie team pick for the Atlanta Dream last season. She was traded earlier in the day along with a third-round pick in this April's draft to Washington for guard Matee Ajavon and a second-round pick.

"I am extremely excited that we have added Alex Bentley to our team," Sun head coach Anne Donovan said in a statement. "Alex is a young point guard who has a very bright future as a pro. As the No. 13 draft pick last season, she played some brilliant minutes for the Dream in her rookie year.

"I am thrilled to have her energy first and foremost. Her scoring ability and defensive toughness will be a great spark at our point position. At the end of the day, we want people who want to be here, want to buy into the program, and who want to help us achieve our goal of bringing a WNBA championship to Connecticut."

Bentley, 5-foot-7, played in all 34 games last season for Atlanta and averaged 22 minutes and 8.3 points. She also averaged 9.7 points during the WNBA Finals.

Lawson signed a free agent in 2010. She averaged 11.5 points and made 41-percent of her 3-point shots, ranking second all-time in franchise history. She played just nine games last season due to injuries.

Lawson will be reunited with former Connecticut coach Mike Thibault, who took over Washington last season after the Sun fired him in Nov. 2012. Lawson will be playing close to home as she was born and raised in nearby Alexandria, Va.

The Sun had a league-worst 10-24 record last season and won the draft lottery in December. Chiney Ogwumike, a power forward from Stanford, is considered the top player in this draft class.