Kamilla Cardoso suffered a shoulder injury that could sideline her for up to 6 weeks. Cardoso explained what it’s like knowing she will have to start the season on the bench.

Kamilla Cardoso explains emotions she feels after suffering first injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago.

Chicago Sky to play final preseason game with Kamilla Cardoso out due to injury

The Chicago Sky will finish the preseason and start the regular season without rookie center Kamilla Cardoso. The 6-foot-7 star out of South Carolina suffered a shoulder injury in the team’s first preseason game and will miss four to six weeks, according to ESPN.

Cardoso suffered the injury in the Sky’s preseason game against the Minnesota Lynx. The WNBA rookie played 13 minutes, scoring six points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out an assist off the bench.

Cardoso was the No. 3 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft after an outstanding season at South Carolina. She led the Gamecocks to an undefeated 38-0 season and a second national championship in the past three seasons.

In her final year at South Carolina, Cardoso averaged 14.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. She was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

With Chicago selected Cardoso at No. 3 and LSU’s Angel Reese at No. 7, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the future of the Sky. That combination could form one of the most dominant interior tandems in the WNBA.

But we’ll have to wait at least a month before we get to see Cardoso and Reese together on the court.

Chicago closes out the preseason with a game against the New York Liberty on Tuesday night with tipoff set for 8 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on WNBA League Pass. The Sky dropped their preseason opener to the Lynx 92-81.

The Sky will open the regular season on Wednesday, May 15, playing the Dallas Wings.