Chicago Sky’s Kamilla Cardoso’s Big-Time Game Show Massive Potential

Down go the champs.

The Chicago Sky claimed their first victory in just over two weeks in what may be the most exciting way possible: a 91-85 comeback win over the New York Liberty that saw a back-and-forth bout the Sky never backed away from. The frontcourt duo of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso continued to spark hope in a fizzling season as they combined for 43 points and 25 rebounds. They guided the Sky to winning the battle on the interior as Chicago notched 52 paint points to New York’s 26 and a full 15 more rebounds than its Eastern Conference opponents. New York big Jonquel Jones led the Libs with 25 points and seven rebounds while hitting five of her 11 3-point tries.

While the Sky don’t have a postseason spot to fight for, they’ll still have plenty to prove as they move to an offseason that could be a chance to turn the tide in their favor. Chicago has nine wins on the season, including quality victories over the Liberty and Minnesota Lynx. It has nine games to continue showing what it’s made of and gauge how it can keep boosting its young core. Thankfully, things are at least starting to look up for the sputtering squad, who still have a ways to go before passing their record from last season.

Cardoso couldn’t have picked a better time to put her potential on full display.

She earned tough offensive rebounds and second change opportunities against the Liberty’s bigs, including a former Sky All-Star in Emma Meesseman. Her playmaking skills created a few opportunities for her frontcourt partners down low as she threaded the needle on a few quick passes. The 6-foot-7 center would go on to earn her 10th double-double of the season and her first since a win over the Washington Mystics earlier this month, when she excelled in scoring inside and finished the night with 16 points.

Chicago’s future as a whole hangs in the balance of its young big duo, who have shown plenty of positive signs since Reese first returned to the floor in a close Tuesday loss. Reese will ultimately serve as the main foundation for a transitioning Sky squad, but it will be up to Cardoso to continue growing as her frontcourt partner for the future with the willingness to be a dominant force on the inside. Should she continue to control the inside as she did in Thursday’s win and be more assertive as a big, the Sky could be one step closer to contention with room to add guard help through the draft and beyond.

Cardoso will have another opportunity to keep shining when the Sky take on the Connecticut Sun at 3 p.m. CDT on Saturday in Wintrust Arena. The game will be broadcast on The U.

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