DEERFIELD, IL — The Chicago Sky are starting Week 2 of their 2024 season campaign. Chicago added some stout upgrades during the 2024 WNBA Draft, highlighted by Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, the latter of whom missed the start of the season due to a shoulder injury. Nevertheless, head coach Teresa Weatherspoon gave a promising update on Cardoso after practice on Tuesday.
Sky get huge Kamilla Cardoso injury update
Cardoso originally went on Instagram Live to address her injury return timetable. She told fans she was targeting June 1st, and Weatherspoon confirmed this after Cardoso’s first day back at practice.
“I’m going to go with what Kamilla says. I’m trusting Kamilla,” Weatherspoon told reporters on Tuesday.
Cardoso suffered a shoulder injury during Sky’s first preseason game against the Minnesota Lynx that caused her to miss the first two regular season games. Her timetable for return was four to six weeks. Her injury occurred on May 3rd, so a June 1st comeback would be right on time.
Teresa Weatherspoon is ecstatic to get the No. 3 2024 WNBA Draft pick back to action.
“Super exciting for her to be out in practice today, the excitement that she had to be there. She is one young lady who’s really [motivated]. She’s fired up and ready to go. She knows where she can come in and help us…knows how good she is and [that] she can come and do great things for us and having her out there today at practice was big.” Weatherspoon said.
Kamilla Cardoso completely changes the Sky’s two-way attack. She will provide reliable inside scoring and stout rim protection. The 6’7″ center looks to bring a wealth of experience to Chicago after an impressive collegiate tenure.
Kamilla Cardoso will make a huge impact after her return from injury
Cardoso started her college career with the Syracuse Orange in 2020, where she built an excellent foundation. The towering center averaged 13.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and a collegiate career high of 2.7 blocks per game during her freshman year. After a respectable year of production, Cardoso decided to join the highly respected South Carolina women’s basketball team.
The Gamecocks were already one of the best programs in the nation, and Cardoso’s support helped them further ascend. Her sophomore and junior years with the team were a work in progress. After amassing 5.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game during the 2021-22 season, Cardoso improved to 9.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 2022-23.
Then, Cardoso had a breakout year during her senior season. She notched a career-high 14.4 points and 9.7 rebounds to go with 2.5 blocks. In addition, she helped the Gamecocks go undefeated the entire season to capture the program’s third championship.
Cardoso came up huge in the national title game against Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Shefinished the game with a commanding 15-point-17 rebound double-double. Cardoso’s paint presence helped South Carolina remain dominant all year long. She looks to provide similar support for the Chicago Sky during the 2024 WNBA season.
Chicago is beginning to put things together after getting their first win of the season over the Dallas Wings on May 18th. The frontcourt duo of Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese should take Chicago to an even higher level.