Kamilla Cardoso was drafted as the third overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, and the team has made it clear since that she's a big part of their longterm vision and goals for the team. But realizing both will take time, and the Sky has definitely had at tumulutous couple of years while they've tried to figure it out.
This year the team made a big splash during free agency. The Sky kicked things off by trading Angel Reese, who was also drafted in the first round back in 2024, to the Atlanta Dream and by signing league veterans Skylar Diggins, DiJonai Carrington, Azura Stevens, Jacy Sheldon, and Rickea Jackson. That amounted to a lot of activity in what was a truly truncated free agency experience, and left a lot of fans of the team wondering just what coach Tyler Marsh and GM Jeff Pagliocca were up to.
(The team also drafted Gabriela Jaquez as the fifth overall pick, Latasha Lattmore as the twenty-first overall pick, and Tonie Morgan as the thirty-second overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.)
WNBA teams still have a few days left in the preseason before things officially begin on Friday, May 8, and coaches, players, and GMs are still structuring their plans for the season and walking reporters through that process. The Sky have been especially open about how they're envisioning their free agency decisions panning out later this year, and it's become clear that the hope is Cardoso will have the support she needs to truly own her role on both the team and in the WNBA.
Last season Cardoso averaged 13.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists, and has the potential to enjoy a tremendous burst of growth this season. And per remarks made by Marsh, she can now do so with the full backing of her teammates and the organization she plays for.
Marsh told reporters that Cardoso has a lot of growing to do, but was clear that she no longer "has to take a backseat to anybody." There's been speculatoin that Marsh's comment was an allusion to the dynamic between Cardoso and Reese, but Marsh didn't directly say anything that could support that.
Marsh added Cardoso can be one of the "elite bigs" in the WNBA, an assertion that certainly matches up with the hype surrounding her draft stock after the 2023-24 collegiate season. Her skillset is strong, and now that she's absolutely surrounded by extremely talented veterans, Cardoso has a ceiling that may well be limitless — if she takes advantage of it.
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