"Hella energy": Kamilla Cardoso draws striking coaching similarities between Teresa Weatherspoon & Dawn Staley

Kamilla Cardoso’s basketball career couldn’t have been guided any better by the coaches she has had the opportunity to play for. The Brazilian had three years under Dawn Staley, winning the NCAA women’s championship twice during that span. Under Staley’s tutelage, she became one of the most highly-touted prospects to enter the 2024 WNBA Draft.

With the No. 3 pick in the draft, the Chicago Sky, now under Teresa Weatherspoon, grabbed the former South Carolina superstar. A little down the ladder, they also took Angel Reese to form one of the most exciting young frontlines in the league.

Unfortunately for the Sky, they will not have Kamilla Cardoso in the next six to eight weeks. Cardoso couldn’t finish Chicago’s preseason debut versus the Minnesota Lynx after she suffered a shoulder injury. She is taking it as a minor bump and promised to be better when she returns.

Cardoso was asked about her experience under Weatherspoon after three years with Staley. The 6-foot-7 rookie center replied:

"They both have hella energy. They want to see you be great. Their personalities are really strong. & they're big on family, which is something really important for me."

During their basketball careers, Dawn Staley and Teresa Weatherspoon had quite a similar game. They were combo guards who were looked up to by their teammates due to their passion, leadership and, as Cardoso emphasized, energy.

Under Weatherspoon, Kamilla Cardoso’s already impressive game on defense could improve even more. The former New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach was a two-time winner of the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award. She could impart some of that knowledge to the imposing Sky center.

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Kamilla Cardoso will have a big role to play under Teresa Weatherspoon

The Chicago Sky lost Alanna Smith in free agency, depriving the team of arguably their best rim protector in 2023. Teresa Weatherspoon did not bother to quickly sign a replacement as she probably had her eyes on Kamilla Cardoso. And true enough, Weatherspoon grabbed the towering former 2024 NCAA Most Outstanding Player as Chicago’s first pick in the draft.

But with Kardoso out, some of that rebounding and rim-protecting duties will have to be carried by Angel Reese and the veteran Elizabeth Williams. Cardoso, though, is likely going to be the one patrolling the paint as soon as she returns and in the future.

Kamilla Cardoso remained upbeat despite wincing a bit due to the injury. She knows that she is not in an ideal position to start her WNBA career, but she has Teresa Weatherspoon in her corner to encourage and push her.