The Chicago Sky have already been pleased with the early returns from their No. 7 pick in the WNBA Draft, forward Angel Reese.
However, the team is still waiting to pair Reese in its frontcourt with the No. 3 draft pick, hulking center Kamilla Cardoso. The former South Carolina star’s WNBA debut has so far been delayed by a shoulder injury suffered in preseason play.
The 6-foot-7 bruiser was the first of the Chicago Sky’s two first-round selections in April’s draft after leading the Gamecocks to the 2023 NCAA championship. She was named the Final Four Most Valuable Player after assisting her squad to its second national title in three years before turning pro.
Cardoso Expects to be Back with Chicago Sky June 1
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Cardoso announced her expectation to return June 1 on her Instagram livestream. Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon confirmed her rookie’s expectations to reporters, saying:
“I’m going to go with what Kamilla says. I’m trusting Kamilla.”
The native of Montes Claros, Brazil, suffered the shoulder injury in a preseason game against the Minnesota Lynx on May 3. She scored six points with four rebounds in 13 minutes before getting hurt. The initial prognosis for Cardoso’s return to the Chicago Sky was 4-to-6 weeks.
If she is able to return for a June 1 matchup against the Indiana Fever and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark, she would beat even the low end of that prognosis.
Cardoso practiced with her new team on Tuesday for the first time since suffering the injury. Even though her workout was limited, it filled Weatherspoon with optimism. The coach told reporters:
“Just super excited for her to be out at practice today. She’s one young lady who’s ready to play.”
Chicago Sky Hope Cardoso Fills Pressing Frontcourt Need
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Cardoso is a dominating rim defender that anchored the top defense in women’s college basketball again, all while contributing double-digit scoring efforts throughout her collegiate career.
Last season, the Chicago Sky was next to last in the WNBA in defensive field goal percentage last season and was in tremendous need of getting bigger and badder in the paint. Cardoso fell into the Chicago Sky’s lap like a money bag dropping out of an airplane. She excels at running the floor despite her size making low-post offense cool again in an era of firing shots from the cheap seats.
Cardoso began her college career at Syracuse, averaging 13.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game for the Orange before transferring to South Carolina prior to her sophomore season.
In three years with the Gamecocks, Cardoso averaged 9.9 points, 2.1 blocks, and 7.9 rebounds per game over 101 contests in three seasons.
The Chicago Sky, 1-1 on the season, are looking to pair Cardoso and Reese in their frontcourt. So high was the Chicago Sky on the prospect of picking up the center, that the team traded its leading scorer, guard Kahleah Cooper, to the Phoenix Mercury in order to acquire the No. 3 overall selection it used to select Cardoso.
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Tom Carothers is a sportswriter with more than 20 years of experience covering sports at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Still longing for the return of his Minnesota North Stars, he has a high pain tolerance as a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Browns, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Tom is the WNBA Content Manager for Total Apex Sports. He is also well versed in covering MLB, NFL, NHL, as well as MLS and EPL.
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