"I'm crying real tears watching Kamilla Cardoso": South Carolina HC Dawn Staley reacts to Sky rookie's debut against Caitlin Clark's Indiana

Kamilla Cardoso made her WNBA debut for Chicago Sky on Saturday and it came in a big game against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Cardoso's college head coach, Dawn Staley, was delighted to see her debut, and she reacted on social media.

Cardoso was drafted third overall by the Sky in the 2024 WNBA draft in April. But her league debut was delayed by over a month due to an injury that kept her on the sidelines. Now that she is back, the Brazilian is making Staley proud.

“I’m crying real tears watching Kamilla Cardoso. I know her mom and sister are super proud!” Staley tweeted.

Cardoso won the national championship with the Gamecocks in her final season at the college level under Staley's guidance. South Carolina’s opponents in the championship game were the Iowa Hawkeyes, led by none other than Caitlin Clark. Cardoso's Gamecocks triumphed that day and now her WNBA debut has also come against the college basketball legend.

The Sky rookie played the game with minute restriction due to her recovery from injury so the fans couldn't see her at full strength. But she still showed glimpses of why she was picked third overall with her rebound work and shooting abilities.

She was on the court for just 18 minutes but still managed 11 points and six rebounds. It wasn't enough, though, as Clark's Fever edged past them 71-70.

Kamilla Cardoso claimed there's more to WNBA popularity than Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark has been credited with single-handedly making the WNBA more popular among the fans. While she deserves her accolades, the former Iowa star isn't the only reason for a surge in the popularity of the league as per Chicago Sky rookie Kamilla Cardoso.

“I have one thing to say about this: All of our games are sold out, so it’s not because of one person,” Cardoso said in an Instagram live.

Cardoso's comments came in defense of her Chicago teammate Angel Reese after the win against the New York Liberty. The former LSU star got an ovation during the player introductions.