Fever top Sky 93-78, Cardoso starts strong but quiet in second half

With only eight players available Sunday afternoon, the Sky (7-18) weren’t likely to beat the sixth-place Fever (14-12) — and they didn’t, falling 93-78.

But they needed to register some small wins. Score more than 60 points. See continued progress from sophomore center Kamilla Cardoso, who’s been up and down since returning from national team duty.

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 3-point line.

And they partially did the second. Cardoso was dominant in the first half, answering head 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 — to just 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 their 2022 NCAA title run — while Cardoso came off the bench behind her. But on Sunday, Cardoso showed — at least for a half — that she can match Boston’s level of play in the pros.

But the second half told a different story. Boston finished with more points, while Cardoso didn’t score and took just one shot. The Fever adjusted, 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 postgame.

That shift in how teams are guarding her demands not just a physical adjustment, but a mental one. When Cardoso catches 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 and rip, even when she’s pushed further out — may 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’s already done with Angel Reese.

Cardoso’s season has had fits and starts. She found a groove in June, but since returning from AmeriCup with Brazil, her scoring average has dipped by two points per game. Her shooting percentage has also dropped to 42% from over 50%, and the Sky are 2-6 over 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 Thursday’s blowout loss to the Storm, Cardoso logged a double-double — 13 points and 13 rebounds — and Marsh said the team should’ve been more intentional about getting her the ball.

Her rebounding has quietly improved. Since returning from Chile, she’s averaging 9.8 boards per game, up from 6.8 in June, helping pick up the slack with Reese sidelined and the frontcourt rotation thin.

With 19 games left — and a shorthanded roster — the Sky need Cardoso to keep evolving. And for their sake and hers, it starts with listening to teammates who keep telling her, “Don’t give it up, go at them.”