Q. If we thought last year was a young team, this is an extra young team. How does it feel being in their shoes just a year ago and now being one of the more experienced players on this team?
SONIA CITRON: Yeah, it feels weird. I feel like I still see myself as a rookie and I have to remind myself you're not -- I mean, I'm not.
It's exciting. I think even though we are really young, we have a really good group. We're just all really excited to start building chemistry with each other, start learning. I've just been as one of the more experienced ones, just kind of trying to take initiative this year and take on that role of being more of a leader.
Yeah, it's definitely different because I feel like last year I was more shy, reserved, in the back just letting our vets -- learning from them, and now, like you said, I'm not a vet, but you know what I'm trying to say.
Q. When you say you're taking more initiative this year, what does that look like? Even yesterday maybe, do you have an example of what that is?
SONIA CITRON: I mean, I'm never going to be the loudest in the room; that's for sure. But I think just like for me, it looks like pulling people to the side and just explaining maybe our offense that they're not used to and what to do here, what to do there or what the coaches are looking for. Just things that I've learned from last year and playing 44 games. Just taking that and just sharing. Like not keeping it to myself.
Just being more vocal, even though that might not be me yelling and doing all that, but just pulling people to the side or just helping them through drills, stuff like that.
Q. I saw you missed a couple games at the end of the Unrivaled season. Are you full go now? Are you still managing that?
SONIA CITRON: Yeah, I'm full go.
Q. You had a long list going into the WNBA off-season of what you wanted to work on and help grow your game this year. Obviously the injury may have impacted how you were able to get along in that list that you had. But where are you at on that list and how happy are you with how you progressed in the off-season?
SONIA CITRON: I'm very happy. I think that list is probably going to be there for my entire career because I think I can -- you can always be better at something. There's no limit to, oh, yeah, once I'm there, I don't need to work on it anymore.
But definitely very happy with where I'm at, and just going to continue to try to get better at those things, even in season. I think a lot of people think that once the season starts you can't work on things anymore because you're playing games, but me and Coach Crouch who I work with a lot, we don't take that approach. We think that every day you work on something for 30 minutes. It's not killing myself or running myself into the ground, but just little technical things.
Just doing that the entire season, I want to keep going toward just getting better at those things. It doesn't stop just because the season started.
Q. Where do you see the biggest growth of where you wanted to go?
SONIA CITRON: I would say getting to my spots in terms of just ball handling, ball manipulation kind of and not letting people stop me from doing that. So if I want to get to the paint, using my body and using my pace, like not always going at one speed.
Q. When you think about maybe the second half of last season and how opponents made adjustments to you in terms of how they guarded you, how does that help your approach coming into this season, understanding what opponents may be trying to take away from your rhythm and flow?
SONIA CITRON: Yeah, I think I kind of know what to expect this year. They were very physical, tried to pressure me and take me out of what I wanted to do. So now knowing that that's what they're going to try and do this year, I've been working on things to counter that.
Not letting them take me out of what I want to do so easily and also learning how to use my body in different counters to their physicality. So again, just knowing what to expect and being able to work on it all off-season, I think I'll be better prepared this year.
Q. Last year you and Kiki worked really well together. I saw her out there giving you pointers on your photos. How do you see that progressing this season, now that you both have your rookie year behind you?
SONIA CITRON: Yeah, I think it's only going to get better. Like I said, I think we're just better prepared this year. We know what to expect. We've been through it last year. I think our chemistry is only going to build. You add Georgia, you add our new pieces, our rookies, Michaela, Kira, everybody, I think our chemistry is only going to build.
Yeah, I'm excited.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports