Kamilla Cardoso starts strong but is quiet in second half of Sky’s loss to Fever

With only eight players available Sunday, the Sky (7-18) weren’t likely to beat the Fever. And they didn’t, falling 93-78 at the United Center.

But they had to register a couple of small victories. Score more than 60 points. See continued progress from second-year center Kamilla Cardoso, who has been up and down since returning from national-team duty with Brazil.

They did the first, putting up 78 behind a season-high 26 points from veteran guard Rachel Banham and a 10-for-19 team performance from the three-point arc.

And they partially did the second. Cardoso was dominant in the first half, answering coach Tyler Marsh’s challenge to assert herself and be aggressive. She scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds, carving out deep post position and holding All-Star Aliyah Boston — her former college teammate at South Carolina — to two field goals.

She even missed a couple of easy looks that could’ve boosted her point total further.

‘‘When Kamilla doubles down and thinks about her presence on the court, it’s pretty hard to stop someone of her size and of her length,’’ Boston told the Sun-Times before the game.

She would know. At South Carolina, Boston was the star — National Player of the Year during the Gamecocks’ NCAA title run in 2022 — while Cardoso came off the bench.

On Sunday, however, Cardoso showed — at least for a half — she can match Boston’s level in the pros.

The second half told a different story, though. Boston finished with more points, while Cardoso didn’t score and took only one shot. The Fever adjusted their defense, pushing her off the block and forcing her to catch the ball higher, farther from her comfort zone.

‘‘The days of just sitting her on the block and throwing it in, those days are over,’’ Marsh said.

That shift in how teams are guarding Cardoso demands not only a physical adjustment but a mental one. When she catches the ball outside the block, she’s often more hesitant, looking to pass instead of going straight into a move. Her teammates are pushing her to fight that instinct.

‘‘We’re like, ‘No, Mil, we don’t want it back. We trust you down there,’ ’’ Banham said. ‘‘We’re just trying to stay on her, like, ‘Don’t give it up. Go at them.’ ’’

That confidence — to catch the ball and rip, even when she’s pushed farther out — might be the next step in Cardoso’s development. Marsh said he’s not afraid to put players in new positions if it helps unlock their game, something he already has done with forward Angel Reese.

Cardoso’s season has had fits and starts. She found a groove in June, but her scoring average has dipped by two points per game since returning from AmeriCup play with Brazil. Her shooting percentage also has dropped to 42% from higher than 50%, and the Sky are 2-6 during that stretch.

‘‘She hasn’t been thrilled with how she’s played from a personal standpoint,’’ Marsh said.

Still, there are signs of progress. In the Sky’s blowout loss Thursday to the Storm, Cardoso logged a double-double — 13 points and 13 rebounds — and Marsh said the team should have been more intentional about getting her the ball.

Her rebounding quietly has improved. Since returning from AmeriCup play, she’s averaging 9.8 boards, up from 6.8 in June. That has helped pick up the slack with Reese sidelined and the frontcourt rotation thin.

With 19 games left and a short-handed roster, the Sky need Cardoso to keep evolving. And, for their sake and hers, it starts with listening to her teammates, who keep telling her, ‘‘Don’t give it up. Go at them.’’