Kamilla Cardoso dominates the paint in blowout loss to the Mercury

Sky post players Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso came into their sophomore seasons looking to broaden their games. But through 12 contests, most of their scoring is still coming in the paint.

Cardoso went beast mode down low Saturday afternoon against the Mercury, scoring more than 17 points for the third time this season. She finished with 17 on 7-for-9 shooting and even knocked down a smooth baseline jumper.

The Sky won the paint battle 36–30 — the only category that swung in their favor in a 107–86 loss — thanks largely to Cardoso’s work inside.

“She asserted herself early today,” head coach Tyler Marsh said. “She did a good job of being aggressive before they could bring double-teams.”

Veteran center Elizabeth Williams agreed.

“When she plays with that effort and that dominance, she’s hard to stop,” Williams said.

There’s clear potential in playing through Cardoso on the block, especially in isolation sets. But the pound-it-in approach doesn’t exactly align with Marsh’s preferred style, which emphasizes spacing and using post players as facilitators.

Reese, meanwhile, was quiet against the Mercury, attempting just one field goal. That was the lowest total of her WNBA career.

She did hit a three-pointer, her third of the season, and went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. She spent most of the fourth quarter on the bench, as benches cleared and the blowout ran its course.

Copper returns to Chicago

Kahleah Copper, the Sky’s last superstar, was back in town — now in her third game since undergoing a surgical procedure on her knee. Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said they’re gradually building up her minutes, but she got a decent helping against Chicago, logging 23.

Copper looked more comfortable as the game went on, scoring seven points in the third quarter during a Phoenix run and finishing with 16.

This is her second season with the Mercury after requesting a trade out of Chicago in 2023. Already an All-Star with the Sky, she had the best season of her career last year, averaging 21.1 points per game. But she said pregame that Chicago still has her heart, and she considers it home.

She didn’t make it to Portillo’s the night before the game, but she plans to stop by Sunday.

Onyenwere Rises

Former Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere has carved out more consistent rotation minutes over the past four games. Her ability to defend both on the wing and in the post is something Marsh values highly. She also gets downhill better than most of the Sky’s perimeter players — a much-needed spark for a team still searching for offensive rhythm.

“We want to continue to find minutes and opportunities for her and figure out what the lineups around her would look like,” Marsh said.

Against the Mercury, Onyenwere scored 17 points on an efficient 6-for-8 shooting.

Notes
-Reserve point guard Moriah Jefferson is back at practice but did not play against the Mercury.
-The cast of the drama series “The Chi” were sitting courtside.