In a year where the Chicago Sky didn’t make the postseason, there’s one thing that was on display from the start of training camp through the end of the 2024 season: rookie development.

The Sky’s two 1st-round draft picks Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese came into their 1st season in the WNBA with no expectations to play near 40 minutes a game, but the extra playing time is going to set up that developmental trajectory that starts to make appearances in players’ sophomore seasons in the league.

“Going from college straight into the professional level, it takes time to kind of change that, and help that,” head coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “The time that they had and opportunity to play against the players that they played against, there was growth in just the competition itself.”

“They got to play heavy minutes this year, and it’s a gift for them,” general manager Jeff Pagliocca said. “I think they’re gonna take a lot of lessons into next season. We want them to continue to evolve. We want positionless players when we can find them, and we know with their toughness, their size, their athleticism, that the more skilled we make them, the better our team is going to be, and the more it’s gonna help the teammates around them.”

That positionless mindset started to settle in towards the All-Star break. Both posts started to expand their shooting range outside of just the restricted area around the rim. While their presence as rim protectors will always be vital, finishing at the rim is what was lacking from both rookies to start the season.

Kamilla Cardoso

Cardoso was shooting 46% from the floor with 65% of her shot attempts coming within 10 feet of the rim. A majority of her misses were also right around the rim with either unlucky rolls or just going too strong at the rim. When the second half of the season came around, Cardoso’s efficiency jumped up to 60.7%.

Her range expanded slowly but surely to beyond the restricted area. Cardoso shot 52% from beyond 6 feet from the basket and even pushed herself to take 10-15 footers by the end of the season. Cardoso’s second half performance had her end the season at No. 1 amongst all rookies with her field goal percentage of 52.1% on the season and No. 4 with her 313 total points on the year.

“I want to work on just finishing around the rim. That’s something that bothers me a lot just like my shooting percentage,” Cardoso said. “I want to try to focus on that a little bit more. So that’s something I want to work on, just improving my shooting percentage. Shooting the mid-range.”

Beyond her scoring ability, Cardoso’s defensive game exploded in the second half of the season. Her block average jumped up to 2 a game and became consistent in the month of September where she put up 15 blocks in just 6 games. Her 46 blocks were a WNBA best amongst rookies.

“I want to get better at my defense,” Cardoso said in her exit interview. “I want to be able to…if we’re guarding the ball screen and we have to switch, I want to be able to guard the guard. I want to be able to better time my blocks.”

Mind you, she did this in a shortened season of just 32 games due to starting the year on the bench with a shoulder injury – something she’s never had to endure in her playing career – and ending the season aggravating that same shoulder injury.

“It was definitely a roller coaster just because of the injuries and everything,” Cardoso said. “I’m the type of player who’s never gotten hurt before, never had to sit out for so many games. When I first got hurt, it was a little upsetting. I didn’t really know how to handle it because it was something that’s never happened to me before. I’m just so proud of myself and being able to push through it. And then I got hurt again, but honestly I’m just proud of myself for getting through this season.”

Cardoso finished in the top 5 among rookies in rebounds (2nd with 158), offensive rebounds (2nd with 172) and defensive rebounds (3rd with 158). She finished top 10 across the league with her averages in offensive rebounds (2nd with 3.0) and blocks (6th with 1.4).

With an entire offseason ahead full of rest and also time playing overseas in China, these next 6 months will be critical for the continued development of Cardoso for the Sky.

Angel Reese

The No. 7 pick had a record-breaking, All-Star caliber rookie season for the Sky. She broke multiple rebounding records including most single-season rebounds, most offensive rebounds in a single-season and the Sky’s single-season rebound record, to name just a few.

However, it was her double-double dominance that shined all season long with her breaking the record for most consecutive double-doubles and most double-doubles by a rookie. Reese ended her rookie season with a double-double average of 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds.

“I got so lucky,” Reese said. “Coming into this league, it became a breeze for me just being able to have a coach that really believed in me and trusted in me. I will continuously and always say, ‘I was lucky and blessed to be able to have Coach Spoon and continue in my years with her’.”

Working and developing with Weatherspoon all season long while playing heavy minutes gave – as Spoon and Pagliocca said – gametime experience against some of the top post players in the league for the rookie. It showed with Reese finishing No. 1 among all rookies in offensive rebounds (172), defensive rebounds (274) and total rebounds (446). She also finished in the top 5 among rookies in points (3rd with 462), steals (2nd with 44) and blocks (5th with 16).

Where she struggled was finishing at the rim. Her shooting percentage of 39.1% on the season put her 12th among rookies. She had a bit of the opposite trajectory of Cardoso in the second half of the season. Reese ended the first half of the WNBA season shooting 40.2% from the floor; in the second half, it went down to 36.8%.

Why did that go down? Well, some of it is based in straight execution, but she also slowly but surely expanded her shooting range. In the second half of the season, Reese took 32 shots outside of the restricted area and shot just 25% beyond 5 feet. That area just inside 10 feet was her Achilles heel all season, shooting 14% all season from 5-10 feet.

“I think honestly, this offseason is going to be about confidence for me,” Reese said, “I know I can hit the shots, but it’s just going into it with a mindset of it’s OK If you miss the 1st shot, being able to take the 2nd, if you miss the 2nd, take the 3rd.

“[I want to be able to] work on my footwork, obviously around the basket and continue to finish through contact.I think I’m pretty strong, but I want to get a little stronger.”

With Reese’s focus on healing, getting in shape, getting stronger and playing in the new Unrivaled league this offseason, she too is set to have large growth for her sophomore season for the Chicago Sky.