Kamilla Cardoso is ready for a second introduction in Chicago.
Cardoso’s rookie year was frustrating. The rigors of a championship senior season at South Carolina took their toll almost immediately. She dislocated her right shoulder during a preseason game against the Minnesota Lynx, an injury that sidelined her for the first six games, nagged her for months and ended her season two games early.
Ultimately, Cardoso started only 29 of the Sky’s 40 games. And when the team’s offseason began to spin into disarray with the firing of coach Teresa Weatherspoon, Cardoso was half a world away, beginning a new season with the Shanghai Swordfish in the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association. Every day after was a long waiting game for the new version of the Sky to debut under first-year coach Tyler Marsh.
The last six weeks since Cardoso’s final game with Shanghai marked her longest period without playing a competitive basketball game since November 2023. It was a welcome break, but Cardoso never feels comfortable when she’s not playing basketball. The first day of training camp Sunday at Sachs Recreation Center in Deerfield felt like a relief.
“Honestly, I’m just ready for the season to start,” Cardoso told the Tribune. “For me, last year was kind of rough because I got hurt. But now I’m healthy and I’m just happy to be here with this team … (and) to go out there and be able to play again.”
Marsh’s hiring quelled some of Cardoso’s concerns after a shaky rookie season. He was previously the lead assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces, working with Cardoso’s idol and South Carolina mentor, A’ja Wilson. Having heard widespread praise for Marsh around the league, Cardoso was sold by the end of her first phone call with her new coach.
That partnership will be crucial this season. Marsh believes Cardoso has more to give. Her debut season was solid: 10.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game as a starter. She was fourth in rookie scoring and led the 2024 class in blocked shots (46). But to Marsh, that’s only the foundation of Cardoso’s potential.
At 6-foot-7, Cardoso is one of the WNBA’s tallest players — but she’s also deceptively quick, covering the open court at the same speed as many wings. Still, she didn’t fully utilize her imposing physical advantages in her rookie season, shying away from the one-on-one battles that made her dominant in college.
The Sky coaches need that to change this year. On defense, Marsh wants Cardoso to be disciplined. But on offense? That’s where Marsh wants her to unleash her aggression. Cardoso doesn’t need to become a bully. But if she wants to take the next step, she must improve the construction and navigation of her screens — and take advantage of every isolated moment in the post.
There’s another reason Marsh is keenly focused on Cardoso: The second-year center will operate as the fulcrum of the team’s new offense.
In his first season as a head coach, Marsh needs to functionally redefine the Sky offense. The Sky had the second-worst offensive rating last season, averaged the second-fewest assists and shot the fewest 3-pointers.
This year will be different. The Sky bulked up their roster with perimeter shooters and facilitators who can space the floor and increase the team’s 3-point volume. And all of that offense will run through Cardoso, who will be the center of gravity in the post as both a scorer and passer.
Threading that needle is tricky. To thrive in the new offense, Cardoso will need to develop a keen intuition for when to attack a defender to create her own shots versus when to kick the ball back out to the perimeter.
And while veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot will be the primary playmaker, Cardoso will be a connector who bludgeons opponents under the basket while also activating the bulk of the Sky’s second looks.
This is the version of her game — a little meaner, a lot more decisive — that Cardoso aimed to hone in China, where the game runs heavily through centers in the paint.
“They want the ball to go to the big, they want the bigs to touch the ball and that’s something similar to what the coaches here want,” Cardoso said. “Being there was great for me because it made me comfortable with the ball in my hands, knowing when it’s time to play one-on-one and when it’s time to pass the ball.”
These expectations served as a blueprint for Cardoso’s offseason. The Sky coaches wanted her to focus on core strength to improve her ability to finish through contact in the post. She also continued to build out her midrange shot, a key piece of her shot profile that was underutilized in college.
And Cardoso will receive high-level mentorship from the new coaching staff, which includes NCAA double-double record holder Courtney Paris as the frontcourt coach.
“She’s got all the makings to be an elite two-way player at her position in this league,” Marsh said. “We’re going to get her to that point.”
Before reporting for camp, Cardoso set out a guideline of goals for a successful sophomore campaign. It’s a private list. She doesn’t want to be held accountable to anyone except her team and herself. Some of the items might be easy to guess: finishing with a winning record, helping lead the Sky to the playoffs, setting a standard for blocks.
But the specifics of what defines success for Cardoso in Year 2?
“You’ll just have to see,” she said. “On the court.”
