Coming off an undefeated NCAA championship run with the Gamecocks, Cardoso was believed to take it up right from the start in the WNBA. In her pre-season game, she racked up six points and four rebounds in 13 minutes of gameplay during a 92-81 loss to the Minnesota Lynx. But it was in this same match that she experienced the worst outcome of her career.

In her first WNBA game, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft by the Sky endured a major injury. It was her shoulder, which required her to sit out for four to six weeks. Being the first major injury of her career, Cardoso, as expected, didn’t know how to handle it. “I didn’t want to do it, and I was giving everybody a hard time, but we were able to work it out,” expressed Cardoso, revealing her preseason struggles.

The rookie had to sit out the whole month of May before she returned for the game against the Indiana Fever on June 1st. The return was good to her, as she put up 11 points and 6 rebounds across 18 minutes. But the journey to get there after incurring the injury was only dreadful for the rookie. “I was never hurt before. So having to deal with the trainers, having a doctor tell me I had to sit out for four weeks, everything was new to me,” she added.

Cardoso also credited the team at Chicago Sky earlier for having her back and helping her really get through the process. However, while it wouldn’t mark an end to her season then, it did only take a couple months more for the injury to cut short her rookie year, so close to the end.

Three days before the second-to-last game of the regular season, Cardoso was benched. Once again, it was her shoulder injury that left her sitting on the sidelines as the team struggled to hold on to their playoff dreams with both Angel Reese and Chennedy Carter eventually out of the line up. But this time, she wasn’t as hard on herself. Cardoso wanted to focus on her health more than getting on the court for possible risk. “Her health is more important to me than anything. And when we spoke, that’s what she was feeling,” coach Teresa Weatherspoon revealed after benching the rookie.

But Cardoso will return to the court soon, in hopes of taking on things left incomplete in the WNBA.

WCBA next stop for Kamilla Cardoso

Cardoso, a 6-foot-7 center, neither had the desired start nor the perfect ending to her rookie season, but she still has plans in store. According to local reports, the rookie star will soon make an appearance in the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association. She’ll be competing for the Shanghai Swordfish in a league she opted for due to its strong emphasis on post players.

Though her immediate focus is to fully recover from the lingering injury, she has several areas to improve. For her, making it to the league will offer the opportunity to work on defensive switches, efficiency at the rim and midrange, and her timing on blocks.

Through 32 games, the Gamecocks star finished with an average of 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and a couple more combined records with fellow rookie Angel Reese. On path to excel, she sets.