The Chicago Sky pulled off a 74-69 presesaon win against the Minnesota Lynx Tuesday night, a monster feat that hinted at things to come for the team. There are a lot of standout moments from last night's game, but one person in particular showed she spent her offseason making vast offensive improvements: Kamilla Cardoso.
It's already clear that Cardoso will thrive with teammate Courtney Vandersloot, a true point guard in every sense of the role. Cardoso managed to hit double figures within 15 minutes of being on the court Tuesday night, a feat made possible by Vandersloot's ability to get the ball to her no matter where Cardoso was, and, crucially, Cardoso's improved ability to finish.
Kamilla Cardoso had an excellent offseason in China
Cardoso confirmed she planned to play with the Chinese Basketball Association during the WNBA offseason back in September of last year. The decision proved to be an exceptional one to have made, and Cardoso repeatedly dominated for the Shanghai Swordfish, regularly getting into the double digits. That was a major boon for the former South Carolina Gamecock, who ended the 2024 WNBA season with averages of 9.8 points and 7.9 points per game.
The Chicago Sky put together a team built around Cardoso and Angel Reese
To say the Sky were busy during the offseason is an understatement; Coach Ty Marsh and the team's front office spent a lot of time carefully crafting a team that appears to have been built around Cardoso and Angel Reese, and both second-year athletes are likely to reap the benefits that come with that kind of support.
Though it's still not clear what kind of season the Sky will have this year, Cardoso is likely to enjoy a lot of success of her own making if she continues to play like she did Tuesday night — and if she can take advantage of the effort teams will likely put into stopping Reese's offensive rebounds, she can find ways to create more shots of her own.
If anyone is extra aware of the growth Cardoso has experienced this offseason, it's the 6'7" center herself. "I feel like I'm a totally different player than what I was last year," Cardoso told reporters during a training camp press conference. "I think that's coming together. Being out here and having the coaching staff, they helped me and told me to be confident in yourself, be aggressive out there and do you."
Cardoso has a lot in her favor: her rebounding and defense were already good. Her offensive growth is likely to continue throughout the season, something that could make the team a formidable threat by the time the playoffs roll around. It would be foolish to count the Sky out before the season has even really begun, and Cardoso is a big part of the reason why.