If there’s a crown for this season’s most heated battles with referees, it doesn’t belong to a player; it surely belongs to Stephanie White. The Indiana Fever head coach has made no secret of her frustrations, calling out what she sees as targeted officiating against her team. From fiery postgame comments to technical fouls, sideline meltdowns, and heated exchanges with officials, White has been at the center of the WNBA’s most memorable ref showdowns. But after Kamilla Cardoso’s recent run-in, Chicago Sky’s head coach might be hinting that the tables are turning.
The Chicago Sky’s superstar center has been a driving force for the team all season. Cardoso’s ability to space the floor, dominate the boards, and anchor the defense has been critical. But against the Indiana Fever, she hit an unusual scoring wall. After 18 consecutive games scoring in double figures, Cardoso managed just six points, though she still grabbed 12 rebounds. When asked about her performance, Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh was quick to defend her effort.
“She was doing really well, though. Operator in high pulse against the zone. I think she started to get frustrated a little bit, when calls weren’t made,” Marsh said. Marsh’s assessment wasn’t far off. Cardoso opened the game strong, collecting six rebounds and scoring four points on 2-of-3 shooting in the first quarter, a bright spot for the Sky, who as a team shot just 3-of-12 with three total rebounds in that stretch.
By second, she had six points and seven rebounds, continuing to be Chicago’s most effective player. But then, the offensive rhythm disappeared. Marsh pointed to the lack of calls as a major factor, citing moments like one in the third quarter where Cardoso was swarmed at the rim by Natasha Howard, Aliyah Boston, and Sophie Cunningham.
Eventually, Cunningham stripped the ball and pushed it the other way, but the way Cardoso was defended had the Sky bench animated, clearly believing they should have earned a whistle.
The stats appear to back their frustration.
“I mean, 25-8 last game, 19 -4 this game,” Marsh said, referencing the free throw disparity. Cardoso finished without a single free-throw attempt. The Sky as a whole shot just four free throws compared to the Fever’s 19. Marsh also pointed out similar numbers in their previous game against Atlanta, where Chicago attempted just eight free throws to the Dream’s 24.
Coach Tyler Marsh on Kamilla play & not going get calls tonight
“The numbers don’t correlate and it seems it doesn’t correlate only for us” #Skytown pic.twitter.com/5WJBmiDfr7
— Jay Holloway (@BlkMANjoy_) August 10, 2025
“I don’t know, but for a team that shoots at the rim as much as we do, for a player that shoots at the rim as much as Kamilla does, and to continuously go game after game without getting to the line…” Marsh trailed off, letting the numbers speak for themselves.
By the numbers, Cardoso ranks just 20th or 29th in the league in free throw attempts per HC, despite being one of the most active players at the rim. Chicago as a team ranks second in rim attempts but only 11th in free throw attempts. “It’s just, the numbers don’t correlate, and it seems like it all doesn’t correlate only for us. So, I’m not sure what the reason for that is, but that is what it is,” Marsh added.
This free throw gap isn’t unique to Chicago. It’s a trend as teams without elite guard play to drive into the paint often see fewer calls, as bigs tend to absorb more contact without earning whistles. That dynamic has hurt the Sky, who are built inside-out and rely heavily on their frontcourt for scoring. It’s also not the first time Chicago has aired these grievances. Earlier this season, Angel Reese voiced similar concerns after a loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
Against Indiana on Saturday, those issues came alongside other offensive struggles. Chicago knew the Fever would likely play zone defense but couldn’t find an answer.
Marsh defends Kamilla Cardoso but calls out Sky’s costly mistakes in Fever loss
The Indiana Fever entered Saturday’s matchup against the Chicago Sky at a major disadvantage, missing three guards, including star Caitlin Clark, and with just nine players available. Without a true point guard, they still controlled the game from start to finish, cruising to a dominant 92-70 victory. Indy improved to 4-0 against the Sky this season. For Chicago, the loss was another frustrating example of how their style continues to put them at a disadvantage.
Sky head coach Tyler Marsh didn’t sugarcoat his team’s performance. “We all watched a little bit too much,” Marsh said postgame, pointing to excessive ball-watching and a lack of defensive pressure against a Fever team running makeshift lineups. “We don’t really have a team that’s able to pressure the ball on the perimeter like that. We want to be more containment. We weren’t able to turn them over much today.”
The Sky’s defensive lapses allowed Indiana to shoot 47.1% from the field and 39.3% from deep, sinking 11 three-pointers. In Sky’s defense, they were still without Angel Reese (back injury) and Courtney Vandersloot, further weakening their inside-out attack. Marsh confirmed Reese remains day-to-day as she focuses on rehab.
Now, with the loss, the Sky dropped to 8-23 on the season and have now lost nine of their last ten. While injuries have taken their toll, Marsh’s squad will need a full reset and retool in the offseason if they hope to compete in 2026.
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