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Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso received high praise from Chicago Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca ahead of their sophomore season.
During an interview with Chicago State of Mind Sports on Monday at the team's training camp in Deerfield, Illinois, Pagliocca was asked what he has seen from Reese and Cardoso heading into their second year with the team.
"Definitely a lot more maturity," Pagliocca said (0:52). "A lot more relaxed understanding of the game, the pace of it, the flow. And it's been two new coaching staffs, and you know, they both adjusted quickly again. Because you know, they come from winning programs in the past in college, and they've assimilated quickly.
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"But you know, they both had very good offseasons. Kamilla and China (women's league), and Angel and Unrivaled (league). So, they've grown as players, they're coming in in shape, and they've impacted the both camp days."
Reese took the league by storm in her rookie season, dominating matchups while averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game. She also recorded the most rebounds ever in a single season (446) in WNBA history.
Unlike Reese, Cardoso didn't have the rookie year she wanted. She missed the first six games and only started in 29 of the Sky’s 40 games. However, she showed off her talent this offseason when she competed in China's WCBA in January.
It appears Pagliocca was closely watching their progress and is convinced about their maturity to compete in year two.
Kamilla Cardoso speaks out about her excitement to compete in sophomore season
Kamilla Cardoso is glad to be fully healthy and expressed her excitement to compete again in the league.
"Honestly, I’m just ready for the season to start," Cardoso said on Monday, via the Chicago Tribune's Julia Poe. "For me, last year was kind of rough because I got hurt. But now I’m healthy and I’m just happy to be here with this team … (and) to go out there and be able to play again."
Chicago will face the Indiana Fever in its season opener on May 17 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with Cardoso and Co. aiming to start on a positive note.
