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The 2024 WNBA season is set to resume on Thursday after the Olympic break with a tantalizing triple-header, headlined by the Phoenix Mercury taking on the Chicago Sky. The game will pit star center Brittney Griner against rookie Kamilla Cardoso and the veteran is excited about the challenge.
In an interview with Desert Wave Media, the three-time Olympic gold medalist revealed that she’s looking forward to facing the Sky star due to her physical playstyle. Griner said,
“I’m just looking forward to the game… I don’t really get to go against people my size. So, I’m just looking forward to that.”
Griner and Cardoso are two of the tallest centers in the WNBA. The 6-foot-9 veteran and 6-foot-7 rookie have similar statures, with the Sky star only 10 pounds lighter than the Mercury icon. Both players live in the paint on both ends of the floor and use their physicality to outmuscle opponents.
Griner seemingly sees shades of herself in Cardoso. She’s anticipating that the rookie will present a challenge that few other centers ever have. The 10-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year couldn’t have asked for a better assignment in her first game since helping Team USA win gold at the Paris Olympics.
The rookie has had a month to prepare for this contest and she’d look to face it head-on. Cardoso has had a decent debut season so far. She’s averaging 8.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 26.2 minutes per game.
However, she has been overshadowed by teammate and fellow rookie Angel Reese. The former LSU star created history with 15-straight double-doubles, breaking Candace Parker’s record of 12 which she across two seasons in 2009 and 2010. She is also engrossed in a tight battle with Caitlin Clark for the Rookie of the Year award.
Watching Reese’s exceptional debut season would be a bittersweet feeling for Cardoso. She was taken four picks ahead of her teammate and was expected to be the face of the franchise. However, she’s now playing second fiddle to her.
Cardoso will look to make a massive impact in the second half of the season. It’d remind everyone why she was picked third overall in the 2024 WNBA draft. A statement performance against Griner in the Sky’s first game after the Olympic break would be the perfect remedy.
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