Chicago Sky HC Finds Hope in Kamilla Cardoso Following Angel Reese’s Trade

Cardoso, the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2024, enters her third WNBA season in 2026 and was one of the key players for Chicago last season, averaging 13.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.

This season, she aims to be one of the primary players for the Sky, which is in a rebuilding phase.

While Cardoso did not have a great showing against the Dream with three points and four boards in 16 minutes, she had a better showing against last year’s finalists, the Phoenix Mercury, on April 25, scoring 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting with four rebounds.

Similar to her coach, has found belief in her talents ahead of an important Sky season.

“My teammates and my coaches, they [are] always telling me how much they trust and believe in me. So I think that’s something I’ve got to also start believing in myself and just go out there and do what my teammates need me to do to win games, because that’s the main goal for me right now. I just want to win,” she said on Media Day.

While Cardoso is making waves for the Sky, a highlight moment occurred in the matchup between the Sky and the Dream, involving her and Reese.

Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese Rivalry Reignited in Preseason

The former frontcourt duo in Chicago, who also had a bitter collegiate rivalry, will now continue locking heads as Reese moved to the Dream in a blockbuster deal this offseason.

And that moment arrived quickly in their preseason matchup, as Cardoso landed a big-time block on Reese that drew plenty of cheers from the crowd, bolstering the South Carolina product’s case as one of the WNBA’s best emerging bigs.

ESPN has ranked Cardoso 34th on its list of the 50 best players in the WNBA, and this moment against her former teammate will surely attract more eyes towards her gameplay going into next season.

Analysts expect Cardoso to be the primary beneficiary of Reese’s departure from the Sky, getting more minutes on the court.