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Who will be Caitlin Clark’s biggest competition for WNBA Rookie of the Year honors?
USA TODAY Sports’ Lindsay Schnell explains why Caitlin Clark has plenty of competition when vying for the rookie of the year award.
CHICAGO — Rematch! Kamilla Cardoso is eyeing a June 1 return, just in time to face Caitlin Clark and former South Carolina teammate Aliyah Boston.
Cardoso revealed her recovery timeline from a shoulder injury during an Instagram livestream on Tuesday, and Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon later confirmed the team hopes to have her back for the game against the Indiana Fever that day. Weatherspoon also said Cardoso practiced Tuesday for the first time since injuring her shoulder May 3 in the preseason opener against the Minnesota Lynx, though the No. 3 pick in last month’s WNBA draft’s participation was limited.
“Super excited for her to be out at practice today,” Weatherspoon said. “She’s one young lady who’s ready to play.”
The Sky initially ruled Cardoso out indefinitely, saying May 6 that she would be re-evaluated in four to six weeks. The game against the Fever would be four weeks and a day after the injury occurred. Though Weatherspoon said the Sky is “trusting” Cardoso’s assessment of her health, she will still have to be cleared by the team before she can play.
If Cardoso does return against the Fever, it would draw even more interest to a game that’s already highly anticipated. It’s the first WNBA game between Clark and Angel Reese, whose trash talking during the 2022 NCAA tournament fueled rising interest in women’s sports, women’s basketball in particular. The two are now among the most popular, and marketable, female athletes and are helping drive increased revenue for the WNBA from sponsors and broadcasters.
More: WNBA rookie power rankings: Cameron Brink shines; Caitlin Clark struggles
But there’s history between Cardoso and Clark, too. Cardoso and South Carolina capped their perfect season by beating Clark and Iowa in this year’s NCAA championship game, with the 6-foot-7 center winning Most Outstanding Player honors. Clark and Cardoso are also two of the three players featured in “Full Court Press,” a four-part docuseries by ESPN and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions chronicling last season.
Cardoso also was teammates with Boston, last year’s overall No. 1 draft pick, for two years at South Carolina.
