2024 WNBA Draft: Chicago Sky select Kamilla Cardoso No. 3 overall

The Chicago Sky have made their first of their two first-round selections, opting to go with massive size.

The Sky selected South Carolina's Kamilla Cardoso with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

This gives the Sky massive size and a cornerstone to build around in the post in the 2024 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

Cardoso was a star for the Gamecocks this season, scoring 14.4 points per game and grabbing 9.7 rebounds per game. She was one of the best defensive players in the country.

"We are beyond excited," Chicago Sky General Manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a statement. "This is who we were so excited to get at number three. She has everything we want at six foot seven. She is athletic, a great person, a great teammate, she comes from a winning program and we cannot wait to get her here to Chicago." 

Cardoso is also a threat on the offensive end, scoring 59.4 percent of her field goals.

Now, Cardoso will join Elizabeth Williams in the post as the Sky continue their rebuild this offseason.

What Kamilla Cardoso brings to the Chicago Sky

Cardoso is a player that fits a role that Azurá Stevens once held for the Sky.

It might not be the most highly publicized role, but it's one of the most important roles.

Steves was a stand-out defensive player that helped lift the Sky to the 2021 WNBA title alongside Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley.

That status as a high-level defender is something the Sky can develop under head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. At South Carolina in the SEC, the best conference in women's college basketball, Cardoso averaged 2.5 blocks per game. 

Cardoso is also a highly regarded teammate, as player who fit in seamlessly at Syracuse and South Carolina.

"A lot of people have been talking about her ability to run the floor as a 6-7 post player and her relentlessness in doing it in every single possession," ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said on the a pre-draft Zoom call last Thursday. "When she demands the basketball, which she did every possession over the course of the last month of the season, she just has to demand extra attention inside."

Cardoso is also a player who shows up when the lights are bright: In five NCAA Tournament games the 2024 NCAA tournament, Cardoso averaged 16.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.