Sky vs. Sun: Kamilla Cardoso Scores 18 in the Fourth as Chicago Erases a 14-Point Deficit to Win 94-88

Foul trouble was supposed to be the story of Kamilla Cardoso's night. She picked up five of them, she played only 21 minutes, and at halftime her team was down nine to a Connecticut Sun squad that had lost three straight. Then the fourth quarter started, and Cardoso spent it turning the Sun's frontcourt into a personal driving range.

Eighteen of her 26 points came in that period, Sydney Taylor chipped in 14 with six assists, and the Chicago Sky climbed out of a 14-point hole to beat Connecticut 94-88 on Thursday night at Wintrust Arena. For a team playing its first game back from the All-Star break, it was a pretty good way to get the legs moving.

Connecticut Had It, Then Connecticut Didn't

The Sun played the first half like the better team. Aneesah Morrow was everywhere, and her driving layup with 1:37 left in the second made it 49-35, Connecticut's biggest lead. Natasha Cloud cut into it with five quick points at the end of the half, but it was still 49-40 at the break.

The third quarter came in waves. After two Diamond Miller free throws, Chicago ripped off an 8-0 run to get within 51-48, capped by a Taylor 3. Connecticut answered with an 8-0 burst of its own, with Miller doing most of the work, to go up 63-51. The Sky then scored seven straight, Gabriela Jaquez and Cardoso made late free throws, and it was 66-61 going to the fourth.

The fourth began with a small piece of good news: DiJonai Carrington, back for her season debut after a sprained foot cost her the first 27 games, knocked down a free throw. Taylor hit a 3, Courtney Vandersloot scored, and then Cardoso got going. Her three-point play tied it at 70. Her layup and two free throws gave Chicago a 74-72 lead. Her next layup made it 76-74.

Leila Lacan's driving layup with 4:54 left tied the game at 76, and that was the last moment Connecticut had any real say in this.

Sixteen Seconds Later

Cardoso answered Lacan with a layup 16 seconds later, and it started an 11-2 run that decided the game. Taylor scored inside, Cardoso finished a Vandersloot feed, and then she made three straight free throws to make it 85-76 with 3:01 left. Lacan's 17-footer stopped the bleeding briefly, but Carrington made two at the line, and the Sun were suddenly down 87-78 with time running out.

Carrington's 24-foot 3 with 42.9 seconds left made it 92-82 and ended whatever suspense remained. Connecticut got a couple of late 3s from Charlisse Leger-Walker and Miller to make the final look respectable. It wasn't really that close.

Twenty-One Minutes, Maximum Damage

Cardoso's night was absurdly efficient. She shot 8 of 12 from the field, went 10 of 11 at the line, took a season-high number of free throws according to the team, and finished plus-14 in just 21 minutes. Nearly every time Connecticut fouled her, it cost two points. Olivia Nelson-Ododa fouled out, and Raegan Beers picked up five fouls in 13 minutes. The team says Cardoso is averaging 16.6 points and 8.3 rebounds over Chicago's last 12 games, a stretch in which the Sky have gone 6-6.

Taylor's six assists were a career high, per the team, and her 14 points came on 6-of-12 shooting. The Sky also have her at 19.8 points per game across her last five, the most of any rookie in that span. Cloud had 11 points and five assists, her 13th double-digit scoring game of the year by the team's count, and Carrington's nine points in 17 minutes, with five of them coming down the stretch, were a very encouraging first sentence to her season. Chloe Bibby hit two 3s for eight points, and Jacy Sheldon had seven. Every Sky player who got on the floor scored, and the bench outscored Connecticut's reserves 34-15.

Morrow was terrific in a losing cause, scoring 21 on 8-of-12 shooting with seven rebounds. Nelson-Ododa filled the box score with 16 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three blocks, but her six turnovers and six fouls told the other half of that story. Miller scored 14, Lacan had 12 points and six assists, and Leger-Walker added 10.

Stats That Matter

• 33-22: Chicago's margin in the fourth quarter.
• 25: Sky points off Connecticut's 16 turnovers. The Sun managed 14 off Chicago's 14.
• 16-4: Chicago's advantage in fast-break points.
• 34-15: The bench scoring gap, Sky on top.
• 23 of 26: Chicago at the free-throw line, including 10 of 11 from Cardoso. Connecticut was called for 26 fouls to Chicago's 17.

What It Means

Chicago improved to 10-18, 6-7 at home, snapping a two-game skid that consisted of a pair of very close road losses in Atlanta and New York. The team says it is 5.5 games out of the playoff picture, and that its two largest comeback wins of the season have both come against the Sun at home. The Sky now lead the season series 2-1. They played this one without Skylar Diggins, who sat out with a knee injury, and Las Vegas comes to town on Saturday.

Connecticut dropped to 7-22, 3-12 on the road, with its fourth consecutive loss by both the AP's count and our recount. It doesn't get easier, with a trip to Dallas on Sunday night.

Low Battery Mode

Cardoso's night had the energy of a phone at 3% battery: no background apps, no wasted motion, only the things that absolutely have to get done before the screen goes black. Twenty-one minutes is barely half a game. Her 18 in the fourth quarter were only four fewer than the entire Connecticut roster managed in the period, and she did it with foul trouble following her around all night. Foul trouble was supposed to be the story. It ended up being the plot twist.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Additional context from the Associated Press and the Chicago Sky.