“KAMILLA! KAMILLA! KAMILLA!” Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley wrote after Kamilla Cardoso moved from Syracuse to play for Staley. Cardoso was coming off a landmark year, winning the 2021 ACC Freshman of the Year and co-Defender of the Year. She went on to create history under Staley, becoming the cornerstone of her program. Coach Staley has a special bond with all her players, but Cardoso is particularly her favorite. 

“I’m a Taurus, she’s a Taurus. We don’t like to lose,” Staley once said regarding her close relationship with Cardoso. And she was using that shared trait in her performance against the Minnesota Lynx. Kardoso made a statement in her first start after the international break, dropping a double-double with 17 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks while also chipping in with two assists and going 5-12 from the field. 

Her old coach had flashbacks of South Carolina Kardoso, and she gave an immediate reaction after the game. “Hey @Kamillascsilva! Hey double double! Hey win! Hey, let’s goooooo!!!” Staley wrote on X after the Sky led from start to finish against the Lynx to get an 87-81 win. Cardoso was authoritative, combining with Angel Reese, who also got a double-double.

Reese had 11 rebounds, 19 points, and 4 assists along with 2 steals. This was her 8th double-double in a row, still 7 off her record of 15 consecutive double doubles, but the way she is feeling, she might just break that record again. Reese and Cardoso formed a fierce duo, combining for 26 rebounds, which were just 2 short of the Lynx’s entire total. 

The Sky used their size of Cardoso and Reese, outrebounding the Lynx 45-28 and scoring 16 more points in the paint than the visitors. After this performance, Cardoso and Reese now have the 10th most double-doubles by a duo in the same game in WNBA history. They are becoming the duo everyone thought they could be. They dominated the star power of Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams, and some fans have even chalked up a Reese-Collier rivalry. 

This time, Angel Reese did not have to slap any clipboards as the Sky defeated the sky-high Minnesota Lynx to bring them back on the ground. They had their first back-to-back wins of the season, and Ariel Atkins had a landmark night, along with this duo scoring a game-high 27 points. It was her most efficient game of her season, finishing 12 of 21 from the field, and it felt like she could do no wrong. The victory for Chicago is the first win for the Sky over a team with a better than .500 record in 2025. 

Dominating the glass is Chicago’s biggest weapon

Only 4 players on the Chicago roster are below 6 feet. They have Kamilla Cardoso at 6’7 being one of the tallest in the league with Angel Reese, the best rebounder in the league. Even then, they are not the best rebounding team in the league. That honor currently belongs to the Golden State Valkyries with 37.4 rebounds per game, but the Sky are really close with 37.

If Kardoso had been around for the entire season, Sky would have comfortably topped this list, but she had been on a temporary leave to compete in the 2025 AmeriCup with the Brazilian National Team, which fell short in the championship against Team USA. Cardoso is the second-best rebounder for the Sky with 7 rebounds per game.

Even after Cheryl Reeve put a jumbo lineup of Napheesa Collier, Alanna Smith, and Jessica Shepard on the floor, they still couldn’t keep up with Reese and Co. While the Lynx are not a brilliant rebounding team, they outshine the Sky in all other aspects but they were able to press on the boards so much that there was little Lynx could do. 

They can follow the same blueprint going forward. Their scoring should sustain itself to follow this strategy, but Reese and Cardoso are improving in that aspect as well. It seemed the intensity was at 100% for the first time this season, and they will have to continue this way if racking up wins is their goal. Sky are not outstanding in any other aspects, but if they can continue their physical domination, there is still a chance for playoff qualification. 

In a season where the Chicago Sky have searched for rhythm and identity, this breakout performance against the Minnesota Lynx may be the spark they have been waiting for. With Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese establishing themselves as one of the most imposing frontcourt duos in the league and Ariel Atkins delivering veteran poise and scoring punch, the Sky are beginning to tap into their true potential. If they can harness this physical edge and maintain offensive consistency, the Sky might just turn their season around.