The Chicago Sky could face uncertainty about a key starter for Saturday’s highly anticipated matchup against the Indiana Fever at the United Center.
Second-year center Kamilla Cardoso has been sidelined from contact drills since Tuesday because of shoulder soreness. Coach Tyler Marsh said after practice Thursday it’s a precautionary measure that he doesn’t expect to jeopardize her availability Saturday.
But shoulder soreness of any kind is a concern for Cardoso, who missed eight games of her rookie season with a shoulder injury. After the season she admitted the injury affected her physicality throughout the year.
Saturday’s matchup will mark the first women’s basketball game played at the United Center. The Sky moved both of their home games against the Fever this year to the Bulls home arena. Although anticipated attendance has been dampened by the absence of Fever star Caitlin Clark — who is sidelined by a quadriceps injury — the Sky still could set a WNBA attendance record at the 20,923-capacity arena.
This is a pivotal moment for the Sky, who started the season 0-4 with a 35-point blowout loss to the Fever in the opener in Indianapolis. They picked up a pair of wins over the Dallas Wings last week to improve to 2-4, while the Fever have sunk to 3-4 without Clark. A win Saturday would push the Sky above the Fever and closer to the top half of the league standings.
That would be a challenge without Cardoso, who is averaging 11.3 points and 6.5 rebounds this season. She scored only seven points in the first matchup against the Fever but showed her ability to take over a game with a career-high 23-point performance against the Wings last week. And her defensive presence would be crucial for the Sky to slow All-Star center Aliyah Boston on the other end.
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