Kamilla Cardoso is going to step away from the Chicago Sky to play for Team Brazil at the AmeriCup. She will miss at least two (likely three or four) WNBA games over the next two weeks.
The 24-year-old center chose to ignore the threat of trade to compete for her home country.
Cardoso, drafted into the WNBA with the No. 3 overall pick in 2024, has not quite reached her full potential as a professional. She averaged 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game during an injury-plagued rookie season. She averages 11.6 points and 6.6 rebounds in 2025.
Unfortunately, the Chicago Sky has yet to figure out how to use its 6-foot-7 big in a productive manner. Cardoso is being erased on a losing team as Angel Reese and Ariel Atkins take twice or even three times (or even four+ times!!) as many shots. Reese also leads the team in rebounds per game, which is where she thrives, but her constant presence on the glass does not always allow for
It will be very interesting to see whether Kamilla Cardoso gets back to dominating the paint at the AmeriCup. Team Brazil will play Argentina, Canada, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador during the group stage. She should have no issue with any of those four frontcourts. She can take over.
Meanwhile, as Cardoso plays internationally, the Sky will be without their primary big. They are not going to trade her for leaving so she felt no pressure not to go play in the AmeriCup.
WNBA teams cannot cut a player for temporarily stepping away from the team. It can trade her.
Julie Vanloo said at the end of May that the Valkyries were “not very keen” on letting the international players go back overseas in the middle of the season. She, like other internationals in the league, was worried about a potential trade. A number of athletes opted out of their respective tournaments because they felt too much pressure from their clubs. They didn’t want to be traded or benched upon return to the States. Vanloo decided to go anyway.
As did Kamilla Cardoso. Her job is more than secure enough to step away for about 14 days. Chicago does not have the upper hand. It would be a terrible idea to trade the No. 3 overall pick from a year ago.
Not every player in the league has that same luxury. Many of them chose to opt out of international duty. Kamilla Cardoso has no reason to worry about a potential trade!