Dawn Staley’s gritty girls have gumption for big games and glories. They entered this year’s March Madness as one of the favorites despite the absence of several core players from last year’s Final Four squad. The team that lately hogged headlines for their court confrontation with Kim Mulkey’s Tigers has put on a dominant display for the second season in a row.

The South Carolina Gamecocks have mostly maintained this winning image due to their No. 10 SEC DPOY. She has created a big commotion with her sheer dominance. As a towering athlete, she effortlessly holds an edge over her opponents. But, who’s this alpha in Dawn’s defiant dozens?

The Girl Who Kicked The Storm

When she threw belligerent Flau’jae Johnson on the hardwood during a match between Lady Tigers and Gamecocks, powerful center Kamilla Cardoso knew she had become a new rage girl of college basketball. It triggered a storm and forced her and her coach to tender apologies. But beyond that sorry moment, she has mostly been a class apart.

Born in Montes Claros, Brazil, Cardoso moved to the United States at the age of 15. Subsequently, she started playing basketball and represented Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the high school level. Her standout performances as a senior won her a place in the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic. In addition to this, a stellar average of 24.1 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 9.2 blocks per game got her the status of a five-star recruit.

Consequently, she decided to join Syracuse over UConn, Ohio State, Mississippi State, and South Carolina. Moreover, her commitment made her the highest-rated recruit in the program’s history.

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Meanwhile, this was not the only accolade she managed to get her hands on at Syracuse. Seemingly, by averaging 13.6 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game, she also became the first Syracuse player to win the ACC Freshman of the Year award. Following this, she was scouted by Dawn Staley and transferred to South Carolina in her sophomore season.

Evolution of Kamilla Cardoso at South Carolina

In her debut season with Gamecocks, Cardoso served as a reserve for the team’s star forward Aaliyah Boston. Nonetheless, her contributions played an essential part in South Carolina becoming national champions in 2022. She upscaled her game in the following season and was the third-best player in the locker room after Zia Cooke and Aaliyah Boston. Further, an average of 9.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest helped her bag the SEC Sixth Woman of the Year and second-team All-SEC.

Cardoso entered her senior year as Dawn Staley’s go-to player after the departure of Boston and Cooke. Immediately, she led the charge for South Carolina and became their most dependable baller. In the 28 games she’s been a part of, Staley has entrusted her with an average of 25.1 minutes per game on the floor.

It is safe to say that Cardoso has made the most of the allotted time as she has become the flagbearer of the team both offensively and defensively. Trying her hands at scary things, Cardoso even made her very first buzzer-beater 3-pointer to bag a win for the team. Leading the team’s numbers, she is scoring at an average of 14 ppg and grabbing 9.5 rpg. Undeniably, she will be an important card for the Gamecocks as they begin their March Madness tourney.

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