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Sky center Kamilla Cardoso’s second season has been a mixed bag, bringing flashes of dominance and stretches where her presence has faded. But one thing trending upward lately is her rebounding.
Part of that, according to head coach Tyler Marsh, is opportunity. Forward Angel Reese — the WNBA’s leading rebounder — has missed four of the last six games with a back injury, giving Cardoso more chances on the glass. But it also has been her mindset.
‘‘[She understands] that we need her more on the defensive glass,’’ Marsh said. ‘‘We really gotta pull down those defensive rebounds and give ourselves a chance to run in transition.’’
Cardoso entered play Sunday averaging 11 rebounds in her last five games and grabbed 10 in the Sky’s 83-67 loss to the Mercury at Wintrust Arena. That production could help build her confidence.
Marsh said last week that Cardoso hasn’t been happy with how she has played overall. He continues to push her to be more aggressive, and it might be starting to show. Her field-goal attempts are up to 10.8 per game during that same stretch, more in line with the usage of other impact centers around the league.
She has posted five double-doubles in her last six games, even though defenses have shifted more attention her way in Reese’s absence.
Opposing teams increasingly have tried to deny Cardoso easy post entries to force her to catch the ball higher on the court, out of her comfort zone, where she’s less likely to make a quick move. As Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts put it: ‘‘When she catches it at the front of the rim, you’re in trouble. She creates a lot of problems because of her size, so we can’t allow deep catches.’’
After a dip when she returned from AmeriCup play with Brazil, Cardoso’s shooting percentage has climbed back to 50%.
AfroBasket champions
Sky assistant Rena Wakama led the Nigerian national team to its fifth consecutive AfroBasket title, her second as head coach. Nigeria beat Mali 78-64 on Sunday in Cote d’Ivoire to become the first team to win five consecutive championships in the history of the tournament.
As a player, Wakama helped Nigeria to a bronze medal at AfroBasket in 2015, the year after she graduated from college. She’s in her first season as a WNBA assistant on Marsh’s staff.
The Sky will celebrate Nigerian Night on Aug. 19 against the Storm. Sky players Elizabeth Williams and Michaela Onyenwere are Nigerian American.
Injury report
Reese (back) and guard Ariel Atkins (calf) were inactive against the Mercury and remain day-to-day, leaving the Sky without their top two scorers and leaders in minutes played.
The Sky aren’t the only team feeling the strain. According to injury-tracker data compiled by physical therapist and assistant professor Lucas Seehafer, there have been 174 injuries across the WNBA this season, resulting in 663 missed games. Those figures are on pace to significantly exceed totals from the last two seasons, when Seehafer began collecting the data.
