Chicago Sky rookie Kamilla Cardoso will miss the beginning of the WNBA season after sustaining a shoulder injury during the team’s 81-92 preseason loss against the Minnesota Lynx on Friday. She is expected to be out four to six weeks, the team announced Monday.
The former South Carolina star came off the bench and only played 13 minutes before getting hurt. In that time, she contributed with six points and four rebounds.
Cardoso is fresh off her second NCAA Tournament title with the Gamecocks. The 6-foot-7 center helped Dawn Staley’s squad take down the Iowa Hawkeyes in the championship game to become just the 10th program in women’s basketball history to complete an undefeated season. The 2023-24 Gamecocks were a well balanced team that shared their duties on both sides of the court, but Cardoso was the veteran that led the way with 14.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per contest.
She was the third overall pick in the WNBA Draft, and was joined by former LSU star Angel Reese, the seventh overall pick. Chicago rookie guard Brynna Maxwell, who played for Utah and Gonzaga, is also out with a knee injury and will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks.
The Sky are set to host the New York Liberty on Tuesday evening at Wintrust Arena for their second preseason game. They could potentially also have to play without Taya Reimer, who is in concussion protocol, and Isabelle Harrison, who is dealing with a knee injury.
