How will the return of Kamilla Cardoso affect Angel Reese?

Kamilla Cardoso's rookie season was interrupted when she was sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason. She was the No. 3 pick in the draft and was selected alongside college rival Angel Reese, who was drafted at No. 7 by the Sky.

As a result of her injury, Cardoso was on the bench at the start of the season and hasn't yet made her debut, which allowed Reese to get some extra minutes on the floor and showcase her skills. Reese did exactly that.

So far this season, she is averaging 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in 29.0 minutes per game and is already looking like a candidate for Rookie of The Year. What has stood out a lot about Reese is her toughness against the competitive players she has been matched against in recent games. In addition, she has started expanding her range and developed a more face-up game, including mid-range jumpers.

She also became the first player in Sky history with 10 points and five rebounds in each of her first four games. Last night she also dropped her first double-double of her WNBA career even though the Sky fell to the Seattle Storm.

Kamilla Cardoso is almost here

The Sky are 2-2 in the season so far, but hope is coming soon. That hope is Cardoso's expected return date, which is June 1, against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.

Cardoso announced that was the target date for her to return on her Instagram livestream. Later that day, head coach Teresa Weatherspoon confirmed that the team also expects her back on that date.

"I'm going to go with what Kamilla says," Weatherspoon told reporters. "I'm trusting Kamilla."

So, what does this mean for Reese? It means a lot. But contrary to what people may think, this will affect her in a positive light.

Instead of thinking about how Cardoso's return affected Reese's play, think about it for the Chicago Sky as an entire team. Marina Mabrey talked to reporters about the Sky's team chemistry and mentioned the two rookies' impact on the team off the floor.

Mabrey feels there are a lot of personalities in the locker room “who bring so much to the floor.”

But without Cardoso, the Sky struggled. Although they had veteran All-Defensive Team center Elizabeth Williams in the five spot and saw no shortage of post players to fill in, Cardoso can bring a different spark to the paint.

If you need a reminder about how dominant Cardoso was for the South Carolina Gamecocks last season, she averaged 14.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. She won the national title game's Most Valuable Player award with 15 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks. She scored six points and four rebounds in her one preseason game for the Sky.

It may mean fewer minutes for Reese as the Sky will test out their new lineup with Cardoso in the 5 spot, but it shouldn't make a difference in the way Reese plays. The dynamic between Cardoso and Reese will be nothing but thrilling to watch, as the two were one of the best frontcourt matchups last college basketball season.

With the return of Cardoso, its the beginning of the new era in Chicago.