Hailey Van Lith truly took it all in on her first day of training camp.

The No. 11 pick in this year’s WNBA draft, Van Lith is still adjusting to life in the pro ranks after a storied collegiate career at Louisville, LSU and TCU.

Van Lith recently sat down with WGN’s Kaitlin Sharkey to talk training camp, Angel Reese and what it’s like to learn from the Sky’s veteran players.

Van Lith and Reese played together at LSU during the 2023-24 season, when the team fell just short of the Final Four with a loss to Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the tournament quarterfinal round. Reese and Van Lith shared a close bond at LSU, and Van Lith looks forward to running it back with Reese in the Windy City this season.

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“Me and Angel picked up right where we left off. We had a team dinner last night and we were cracking jokes all dinner. She’s great energy,” Van Lith told WGN. “One thing about Angel that a lot of people don’t give her credit for is she really has a selfless leader mindset.”

Van Lith said she believes the Sky are a perfect fit for her as a rookie due to the veteran presence on the roster — namely Courtney Vandersloot.

Vandersloot returned to the Sky this past offseason after spending two seasons with the New York Liberty. Before that, Vandersloot played 12 seasons with the Sky between 2011 and 2022.

“All practice I was like, she probably thought I was stalking her … getting to see her make reads and manipulate defenses and live action,” Van Lith said. “I’m super blessed to have her in the gym and to be able to learn from her. If I could pick any vet in the league, she would be the one that I would pick to learn from.

“Hopefully she doesn’t get creeped out by me; she’s a great person too.”

Van Lith also praised Tyler Marsh and values the advice she received from the new Sky head coach.

“Coach Ty, he said, ‘We drafted you for a reason, so don’t feel like you necessarily need to prove yourself. We want you here so just be you,'” Van Lith said. “It’s really cool when a head coach goes out of his way to talk to the rookies … I really look forward to building my relationship with him.”

Van Lith and the Sky open up their preseason at Louisiana State University against the Brazilian National Team Friday at 7 p.m. CT.