From one stellar rookie season to another.
Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso finished the 2024 season with 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game in 32 games played and 29 starts. She started to show flashes of her full potential in August, when she averaged 11.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest in seven matchups on the month. She hit an efficient 52.1% of her shot attempts from the floor and just over 56% from the restricted area. Her 1.4 blocks per game put her in second place on the Sky's roster and on pace with Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier at about fifth place in the WNBA.
Cardoso's ability to be an interior anchor on both sides of the floor earned her a spot on the WNBA's All-Rookie team. She joined Sky forward Angel Reese, Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson, New York Liberty guard Leonie Fiebich and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. Cardoso and Reese would become the first Sky players to join the All-Rookie team since guard Rebekah Gardner in 2022.
Cardoso's excellence on the court didn't stop after the 2024 regular season.
The former SEC star and guard Crystal Bradford have led the Shanghai Swordfish of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association to a 9-3 record and a second-place spot in the league's Group A2 standings. Cardoso, who is averaging a team-high 20.2 points per game, recently dominated in a close Wednesday loss to the Zhejiang Golden Bulls. She logged 24 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists as she continued to unlock her potential on the inside.
Chicago Sky v. Atlanta Dream: June 8
Cardoso earned her first start of the season in a loss to the Dream at home. The 6-foot-7 center ended the game with 13 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes of play. She shook off a slow start in the first quarter by sinking five of her six shots from the floor between the second and the fourth. While she earned most of her points on the interior, Cardoso showed the potential of her jump shot by knocking down a wide-open attempt from just under the right corner. She made six of her 10 tries from the midrange during her rookie season.
Chicago Sky at Los Angeles Sparks: Aug. 17
Cardoso logged 15 points, 14 rebounds and three assists in a close win over the Sparks. She added to her double-double with two swatted shots, including one against former Sky center Li Yueru, and one steal in the fourth. Her ability to act as an anchor for Chicago on the interior led to a season-high 11 defensive rebounds, a mark that led both squads in the Sky win.
While she earned her first double-double a few months before, her performance against the Sparks and in later games showed just how important she is to the Sky's interior presence. She would log seven double-doubles during her rookie season, including four in the month of June.
Chicago Sky v. Washington Mystics: Aug. 28
While it didn't always show up in the box score, Cardoso's ability to create plays out of the post was put on full display against Washington.
Cardoso earned a season-high six assists in an August loss to the Washington Mystics. She showed her vision with her back to the basket and her ability to escape tough double teams with quick passes to cutting teammates. The rookie center's 1.7 assists per game put her on par with Sparks forward Cameron Brink at about seventh among rookies last season. She averaged three assists per game in the month of August.
Cardoso added 10 points and 11 rebounds, including three on the offensive end, in the loss that featured two former Sky bigs in Stefanie Dolson and Sika Koné. She blocked three shots in the paint, including two against a fellow rookie in forward Aaliyah Edwards.
Chicago Sky v. Minnesota Lynx: Sept. 1
Cardoso scored a season-high 22 points as the Sky fell to the Lynx in the Target Center. No matter who she was matched up with, Cardoso worked well in the paint and on the block and used pinpoint passes from Sky teammates to score easy buckets in the restricted area. She added nine rebounds, including three offensive rebounds, along with one assist. Reese dominated on the boards with a game-high 19 rebounds and seven offensive rebounds.
Cardoso's interior scoring off put-backs, layups and cuts proved to be invaluable to the Sky during her rookie season. She averaged 7.5 points in the paint per game, including a season-high 8.9 points in the paint per contest during the month of September.
Chicago Sky v. Minnesota Lynx: Sept. 13
Cardoso tacked on her final double-double of the season in a loss to the Lynx. She held off shots from former Sky forward Alanna Smith and gave Chicago five extra possessions on the boards. Cardoso deflected three shots in her 37 minutes of play, including a driving layup from Collier. An up-and-down scoring outing from the paint ultimately ended in 16 points and six made shots on 13 tries from the floor.