Kamilla Cardoso sets a screen for Chennedy Carter, stays at the top of the key for a moment and then rolls to the basket. Carter rewards the work by dishing the ball back to Cardoso in the post, and she finishes strong, earning her the first points of her WNBA career.
These points were years in the making and should’ve come earlier for the Brazilian national. However, a shoulder injury in preseason delayed her WNBA debut until June 1 versus the Indiana Fever. In her first game, her impact was automatic and immediate. She scored 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting in the Chicago Sky’s defeat. It’s not just her scoring that impressed from the start; Cardoso pulled down six boards against the Fever and is averaging that many per game as a rookie, placing her as the third-highest in her class.
The debut was overdue, but her arrival was right on time. Cardoso was drafted by the Sky at No. 3 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft, with Angel Reese chosen by Chicago soon after at No. 7. The pair are ushering in this new era of Skytown basketball in the City of Wind.
With their two towers in place, Chicago has a chance to retool, rather than rebuild, and quickly return to the top of the WNBA. If they accomplish that, it will be because Cardoso is leading the charge, scoring in bunches, cleaning up the glass and serving as an elite rim protector, just like she did at South Carolina.
It’s only been a handful of games for Cardoso, but she’s already shown why she was taken so high in a draft that’s been considered the best in recent memory. Cardoso is well aware of where she excels, and that’s inside the paint. She is shooting 50 percent from the field and has only taken two shots from outside of that area. In a league where it’s increasingly about stretching the floor and shooting from the outside, Cardoso has shown an ability to be dominant by applying pressure on the rim. Defensively, her rim protection has already stood out, as she’s adjusted well to gambling to contest and knowing when not to be too aggressive—something her peer, Cameron Brink, still struggles with.
With Cardoso’s two-way play and Reese’s offensive explosiveness, the Sky are currently sitting at eighth in the WNBA standings. While they are not juggernauts in this league, they may well be very soon. The Las Vegas Aces, Connecticut Sun and New York Liberty may have now, but the Sky are quickly up next. Cardoso has arrived, and once she settles in and plays more games, all signs point to her lifting the Sky back to the top of the WNBA hierarchy.
The Sky may not contend in 2024, but for now, Cardoso and Reese are must-see TV, and it will be thrilling to watch them begin this rise to the top.