The drawing on the board is the same for Kamilla Cardoso, whether it’s May, the last game, or even last season. In Chicago Sky’s season opener against the Fever, Tyler Marsh made it clear that he wanted to get Angel Reese and Cardoso “comfortable with being on different areas of the floor”. And how do we do that? It hinges on how well the rest of the team executes. And while Marsh emphasized that one game wouldn’t define their season, his postgame comments after their matchup against the Seattle Storm showed the same lapses.

“We missed her on a couple of times where she had deep seal opportunities”, Marsh said, adding, “We just weren’t able to get it to her in a timely manner before they were able to bring help and multiple bodies to her. So we got to do a better job of that”. And while this is a new issue for Marsh in his first year, Cardoso is way too well-versed with the idea of not being fed. Last season, rarely did her hard work of bodying up the defenders pay off in passes and there was no guard option for the Sky who could facilitate the pick-and-roll with Cardoso. So, yes, Marsh knew the assignment and he had his strategy. But did things change? Not really.

When the Chicago Sky stepped onto the court against the Indiana Fever, they were riding a four-game losing streak, having dropped games to the Minnesota Lynx (twice), the Atlanta Dream, and the Seattle Storm. And the only bright spot was Kamilla Cardoso. And why not? In the game against the Storm, she recorded 13 points and 13 rebounds and was named Player of the Game by the Sky.  “Another double-double for KMILL,” posted the team’s official social media account. Well, that marked her second straight game receiving the honor; she had previously recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds in a matchup against the Lynx. So if anyone could flip the script, it was Cardoso.

To Cardoso’s credit, she delivered. But she could have delivered even more had the strategy of getting looks and getting her in different positions had been executed well. As Tyler Marsh himself admitted, almost repeating his words.  “Teams are making it more difficult to get regular post entries into [Kamilla]. We’re going to continue to put her in different positions as well. We have to find more creative ways to get her looks,” the HC said. 

And he’s right. However, the work doesn’t just rest on Marsh’s or Cardoso’s teammates shoulders.

Even with only eight players available, the Sky pulled off a few small victories. They scored 78 points, including a season-high 26 from veteran guard Rachel Banham, and shot 10-of-19 from three-point range. More importantly, Cardoso responded to her coach’s challenge – at least in the first half. She scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds before the break, holding Aliyah Boston, her former South Carolina teammate, to just two field goals. 

“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. And of course, who would know better than a former teammate? But while Cardoso showed her impact and skillset early on, everything shifted in the second half. Boston finished with more points, and Cardoso was held scoreless in the second half, taking just one shot.

And it all came as Fever adjusted and pushed Cardoso off the block, forcing her to catch the ball further from her comfort zone. “The days of just sitting her on the block and throwing it in, those days are over,” Marsh said. So, that change in strategy demands work not just from the Sky as a whole, but mental adjustment from Cardoso herself . It’s because when she catches the ball outside the paint, she often becomes hesitant, looking to pass instead of attacking. And her teammates are trying to push her out of that mindset.

“We’re like, ‘No, Mil, we don’t want it back. We trust you down there,’” said Rachel Banham.  “We’re just trying to stay on her, like, ‘Don’t give it up. Go at them.’” So, yes, the different positions, the passes, nothing would matter if we do not see an uptick in Cardoso’s confidence. 

The Chicago Sky’s season hinges on Kamilla Cardoso’s move…

No doubt, Kamilla Cardoso’s sophomore season has been a mix of flashes and frustration. After finding a rhythm in June, her momentum stalled following the AmeriCup, with her scoring average dipping by two points and her shooting percentage falling from above 50% to just 42%.

It hasn’t only impacted her—it’s affected the whole team. The Sky have gone 2–6 since then, a stretch that reflects not only their overall struggles but how crucial Cardoso’s growth is to their success. Still, you can’t ignore the signs of progress. Cardoso logged a quiet double-double, 13 points and 13 rebounds, even when her team failed to feed her consistently.

We already know Tyler Marsh is not shy about challenging his players. And for Cardoso, that means developing the confidence to catch the ball even when pushed out, and to “go at them” as her teammates keep telling her. Her improved rebounding, up to 9.8 per game since AmeriCup, is a testament to her growing grit.

And, now, with 19 games left and a roster running thin, expectations are high for the 23-year-old Brazilian. She must now fully embrace that responsibility, not just by cleaning the glass but by demanding the ball, trusting her footwork, and owning her space in the paint. But can she rise to the occasion?