Kamilla Cardoso had the best game of her season on Wednesday, scoring 24 points, pulling down 11 rebounds and handing out five assists — but the Chicago Sky still fell, 99-89, to the Dallas Wings.
Cardoso shot 71.4% from the floor in that outing, the most efficient display of a breakout stretch that has her averaging 14.4 points per game and leading the Sky with 10.8 rebounds per contest during the WNBA 2026 regular season's third week. The performance capped a week that earned her the team’s player of the week honor heading into Memorial Day Weekend.
The production in Dallas followed another strong showing against Minnesota, when Cardoso had 11 points and 12 rebounds in Chicago’s 86-79 victory over the Lynx. Together those games underline why the Sky have leaned on Cardoso as their primary inside presence since the start of the season.
Chicago began the year having to replace Angel Reese after she was traded to the Atlanta Dream, and Cardoso has been central to the recalibration. The Sky are 3-2 and tied for first place in the Eastern Conference with Indiana, New York and Atlanta, a position the team holds even as individual games produce mixed results.
There is an obvious tension between Cardoso’s personal surge and the Sky’s loss in Dallas. Her season-best box score — 24 points, 11 rebounds and five assists — would be a game-winning line for many teams, yet it did not translate into victory. That disconnect highlights the gap the Sky still need to close around consistency and supporting production from the rest of the roster.
Cardoso is in her third WNBA season, and these numbers represent her best statistical season so far. The Sky’s need to replace Reese created an opportunity; Cardoso has answered with efficiency and volume inside, giving Chicago a go-to big who can score at a high clip and control the glass.
What happens next matters quickly: Chicago was scheduled to play the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday, May 23 on CBS and Paramount+. The Sky will lean on Cardoso’s inside scoring and rebounding yet again as they try to turn dominant individual efforts into more consistent team results.
For now, Cardoso has done what a contender asks: produce, dominate the paint and shoulder a heavier load. Whether the Sky can build the complementary pieces around her — and convert performances like Wednesday’s into wins — will decide whether this early-season surge keeps Chicago near the top of the East.
