With Angel Reese and Ariel Atkins out of rotation against the Phoenix Mercury, the Chicago Sky’s hopes were that Kamilla Cardoso’s performance would put up a fight against a strong team. A win was a far-fetched dream on paper, but fans expected a good performance from their reliable forward.
The former NCAA champion had minimal support, with all the opposing defense focused on her. Yet she delivered a double-double stat line, earning herself a milestone in the league.
Kamilla Cardoso Reached A Unique Milestone In The WNBA
Protecting the rim and marshalling the paint region against players like Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally was always a heavy task. The Phoenix Mercury was wounded with back-to-back defeats and was in desperate need of a win.
Going against such a team, with a shorthanded team, puts pressure on the 2024 rookie. Yet she delivered 12 points and 10 rebounds against them. This was her sixth straight double-double outing, the first time in her college plus WNBA career.
Even though the achievement might seem less flashy, the circumstances mentioned above make it special. Elizabeth William gave support to Kamilla Cardoso with 15 points and 15 rebounds, leading the side in both stats.
The visitors’ performance was rather dominant. Alyssa Thomas got her 17th triple-double, and Kahleah Copper netted 25 points in 26 minutes. The Sky will welcome another playoff aspirant, the Washington Mystics, next on August 5.
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Kamilla Cardoso Showed Little Improvement From Rookie Season
Playing alongside the rebound queen was also always going to be a difficult for the Brazilian star. Yet she made it to the 2024 All-Rookie Team with around 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists per game average in her first season.
While Angel Reese showed great improvement in her shooting and efficiency in her sophomore season, Cardoso’s true scoring remained the same, with stats showing little improvement in the average. At the start of the season, the newly appointed HC showed faith in the 6-foot-7 forward.
“I think that she’s gotta continue to impose her will on the defense as well, because she’s a load down there, and she can be extremely effective in causing a lot of attention to create other things, opportunities for our shooters and other players on the floor with her,” Marsh said in his introductory press conference.
Midway into the season, the coach himself is looking to make adjustments to her game. While the season-end is still 18 games away, the playoff dreams are diminishing. All players can do is improve on their individual records and get as many wins as possible to better their record in 2025.
Also Read: Kamilla Cardoso’s Injury Scare Threatens Chicago Sky’s Hopes In Loss to Valkyries