Kamilla Cardoso, recently finished with her rookie season with the Chicago Sky, is currently excelling in the Chinese Women’s Basketball Association during her first offseason.
As the starting center for the Shanghai Baoshan Dahua Swordfish, Cardoso is averaging 19.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3 assists. In a recent game, she scored 37 points on 15-18 shooting, grabbed 15 rebounds, dished out 8 assists, and recorded 2 steals, helping the Swordfish to a 13-7 record this season.
Her new coach at Sky, Tyler Marsh, took to social media to praise her performance.
During his introductory press conference, Marsh emphasized that Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese are the key players for the Sky organization.
He mentioned, “We want to enhance their offensive and defensive abilities and understand their importance as cornerstones of the franchise.”
Cardoso, drafted at No. 3 from the University of Southern California, averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in her rookie season. Reese, drafted at No. 7 from LSU, made history by averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, surpassing the WNBA rebound record. The Sky finished with a 13-27 record and parted ways with the then-head coach Teresa Weatherspoon at the end of the season.
Recently, the Sky appointed Courtney Paris, a former WNBA player and rebounding leader, as an assistant coach to support Tyler Marsh.
Although dominating in the WCBA differs from the WNBA, Cardoso’s successful offseason is a positive sign for the Sky. Meanwhile, Reese is gearing up to play in Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 basketball league starting on Jan. 17th in Miami.
The free agency period starts on February 1st, marking the time when the Sky’s roster, centered around their young post players, will be finalized. The status of players like Chennedy Carter, a restricted free agent from last year’s roster, will be clarified in the upcoming weeks.
