Magic Johnson Praises Kamilla Cardoso as South Carolina Advances To NCAA Finals

Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks can’t be stopped. The much-anticipated Final Four matchup between the NC State Wolfpack and the Gamecocks turned out to be a blowout win for the latter, but that did not stop NBA icon Magic Johnson from giving a detailed analysis, something he loves to do. The Los Angeles Lakers great made a mention of a few notable game-changers of the South Carolina unit. Let’s see who made it to Magic’s appreciation post today! 

Johnson first congratulated South Carolina on their Final Four win, “Another great all-around performance for South Carolina to advance to the NCAA National Championship game!” The 3x NBA MVP added, “I’m really impressed with how Kamilla Cardoso carried her team on the offensive end in the first half.” Cardoso was the highest scorer of the game, who finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds to get the Gamecocks a 19-point win(78-59). However, she was not the only star who gave South Carolina an upper edge. 

Johnson also made note of Ashlyn Watkins, who grabbed 20 monstrous boards, 15 on defense and 5 on offense. He shared, “Coach of the Year Dawn Staley said Ashlyn Watkins would be a key player to get the win and she showed up by grabbing 20 rebounds off the bench, the new NCAA tournament record!” 

The South Carolina Gamecocks are all set to face the Iowa Hawkeyes, who just won a dramatic game against the UConn Huskies. This might be one of the best NCAA Finals in recent times. 

Can South Carolina’s flawless win streak help them beat Caitlin Clark and Co.? 

The Gamecocks are quite literally unstoppable at the moment. For starters, they have won 108 games out of their last 111 games. After their win against the NC State Wolfpack today, they are on a 37-game win streak this season. This determination and prowess starts from their coach Dawn Staley, who has guided them in all their last 111 games. Since she joined South Carolina, they have delivered two national titles and five Final Four appearances. After today, they are back to a familiar place again. 

However, this winning streak will turn out to be worth it only if they can beat the Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday. Coincidently, the last game South Carolina lost was against the Hawkeyes during last year’s Final Four. The Gamecocks had been unbeaten until they faced Caitlin Clark & Co. Will history repeat itself? 

Read more: Magic Johnson Calls Kamilla Cardoso’s South Carolina “Best Team in the Country” as Caitlin Clark’s Final Battle Awaits