{"id":606206,"date":"2026-04-25T20:13:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T20:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/606206\/"},"modified":"2026-04-25T20:13:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T20:13:10","slug":"dawn-staley-sees-kamilla-cardoso-all-star-potential-for-the-sky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/606206\/","title":{"rendered":"Dawn Staley sees Kamilla Cardoso All-Star potential for the Sky"},"content":{"rendered":"

What coach Dawn Staley misses most about Sky<\/a> center Kamilla Cardoso is her dominance.<\/p>\n

Cardoso became a one-of-a-kind force her senior year at South Carolina, when she put the team on her back and decided they weren\u2019t going to lose. The Gamecocks didn\u2019t, going undefeated en route to a national title.<\/p>\n

Staley was looking for that kind of dominance from Cardoso from the moment she transferred from Syracuse as a sophomore. But it didn\u2019t happen automatically.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it took people moving out of the way,\u201d Staley told the Sun-Times. \u201cLike an Aliyah Boston graduating and then Kamilla being the focal point. Sometimes when you know there\u2019s nobody there, it\u2019s just you, you rise to the challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cardoso\u2019s college experience taught Staley that she is a \u201cfocal point\u201d player. She excels under applied pressure. She can\u2019t be allowed to just float. So when a coach decides it\u2019s time to hand over the keys, they have to fully commit.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re gonna give her the keys to the car only on the weekends, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s Kamilla\u2019s style,\u201d Staley said. \u201cI think it\u2019s more \u2014 she wants to get in the car and drive it every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staley\u2019s keys-to-the-car analogy is interesting in the context of Cardoso\u2019s first seasons with the Sky.<\/p>\n

How much driving time has been offered? How much has she accepted?<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no clear-cut answer, in part because the car keeps changing.<\/p>\n

She has played for two different coaches, Teresa Weatherspoon and Tyler Marsh, with drastically different styles. She has played alongside a revolving door of alpha scorers \u2014 Marina Mabrey, Chennedy Carter and Angel Reese.<\/p>\n

She has dominated in quarters, in halves, in stretches of the season, though not yet for an entire year the way she did for the Gamecocks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this year is probably going to be a great year for her,\u201d Staley said. \u201cStatistically speaking, as well as comfort. And the fact that Angel isn\u2019t on the roster. I\u2019m not saying that in a bad way. It just leaves more opportunity for Kamilla to spread her wings. She can be more of a focal point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether Cardoso spreads her wings, and whether Tyler Marsh helps her take flight, remains the season\u2019s most compelling question. The second half of last season pointed upward: she averaged 14.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and three assists per game during that period.<\/p>\n

She returned to training camp looking very much like she did at the end of last season<\/a>: vocal, engaged and physically prepared \u2014 if not totally ready to accept the role of franchise spokesperson.<\/p>\n

Asked whether she now sees herself as the franchise cornerstone, she shifted the focus back to her teammates.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see myself as a great player that\u2019s here to help my teammates with whatever they need,\u201d Cardoso replied with a smile.<\/p>\n

Some stars are comfortable broadcasting All-Star ambitions or MVP dreams. Cardoso, meanwhile, talks about her motivation in broader terms. She plays for her family, for her country, for the sisterhood that basketball creates.<\/p>\n

To her, the upcoming season exists on a simple scale of \u201cgreat\u201d to \u201camazing.\u201d What\u2019s her impression of the Sky\u2019s new-look roster? Great. How does she feel about the opportunity to play with elite point guard Skylar Diggins? Amazing.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a more aggressive forecast on Cardoso, though, you can find it from her teammates. The Sun-Times has heard the same drumbeat from Boston<\/a>, Reese and now Diggins: They want her to take up more space. They want her to decide to be dominant.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s been working on it steadily.<\/p>\n

So is this the year it translates into an All-Star nod? For Staley, it all comes back to who\u2019s behind the wheel.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf she\u2019s driving the car, she\u2019s going to be on that All-Star [team],\u201d Staley said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Angel<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The Dream forward says that the negativity she experienced in her first two years in the WNBA wasn\u2019t normal or acceptable. Still, she understands it\u2019s her \u201cnew reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

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read<\/p>\n

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\"Minnesota<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

General manager Jeff Pagliocca sees real potential in this moment. Should fans buy in?<\/p>\n

[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]
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read<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The league, in its 30th season, will have games on ABC\/ESPN, CBS, Amazon Prime Video, ION, NBC, USA Sports and NBA TV.<\/p>\n

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