Kamilla Cardoso · With 11 games remaining in a push for the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, Kamilla Cardoso found that conquering that goal might first require surviving the South Carolina-sized battle standing before her on August 25, 2024. Within minutes, it became clear that the Chicago Sky’s No. 3 pick was ready to try her hand at the challenge. Backpedaling into a defensive stance with the WNBA’s soon-to-be-named three-time Most Valuable Player eyeing a bucket, Cardoso takes to the high-profile encounter by positioning herself perfectly at the rim, sending the shot away with an emphatic block. In what poetically could be described as a “perfect storm” for the Sky center, the duel against A’ja Wilson — fearless and competitive enough to keep attacking, even after Cardoso’s third block of the opening quarter — allowed for a season-high in blocks. The Las Vegas Aces would ultimately get the upper hand through their superstar’s game-winner. Cardoso, though, made herself a must-discuss topic through eight points, 12 rebounds, three assists, five rejections, and a staredown or two across 32 minutes, planting the seeds for a top-10 finish in blocks (46) by season’s close. · State of Mint · State of Mint