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Kamilla Cardoso

  • position Center
  • height 6-7
  • class Senior
  • Hometown Montes Claros, Brazil
  • Previous School Syracuse
  • High school Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Tenn.)
  • position Center
  • height 6-7
  • class Senior
  • Hometown Montes Claros, Brazil
  • Previous School Syracuse
  • High school Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Tenn.)

Kamilla Cardoso Bio

Awards

At South Carolina
Honorable Mention All-America (2023)
Second-Team All-SEC (2023)
SEC 6th Woman of the Year (2023)
SEC Academic Honor Roll (2022)

At Syracuse (2020-21)
ACC co-Defensive Player of the Year
ACC Freshman of the Year
All-ACC First Team
ACC All-Defensive Team
ACC All-Freshman Team

High School
McDonald’s All-America (2020)
WBCA All-America (2020)
Jordan Brand Classic (2020)

International (Brazil)
2023 FIBA AmeriCup, gold medal
2023 FIBA AmeriCup, MVP
2022 FIBA South America Championships, gold medal
2022 FIBA South America Championships, MVP
2022 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tourn. (Serbia), All-Star 5
2021 FIBA AmeriCup, bronze medal

In the South Carolina Record Book

Season
2nd – Offensive rebounds in a season (134 in 2022-23)

Bio Information

Junior Year (2022-23)

  • Helped team to program-record 36 wins, including perfect 16-0 slate in SEC action, seven wins over ranked opponents, an SEC Tournament title and a spot in the NCAA Final Four for the third-straight season
  • Part of team that set program records for points scored, rebounds and rebounding margin in addition to an NCAA record for blocked shots per game
  • Picked up SEC Sixth Woman of the Year honors to go with second-team All-SEC recognition and WBCA All-America honorable mention status
  • Finished season ranked 21st in the NCAA in offensive rebounds per game (3.72) and 28th in blocks per game (1.94) … according to Her Hoop Stats, finished third in the country in offensive rebounding percentage (.208) and seventh in total rebounding percentage (.232)
  • Ranked among SEC’s top five in offensive rebounds per game (2nd), rebounds per game (3rd) and blocks per game (4th)
  • Tied for team rebounding lead at SEC Tournament (9.3) and second in scoring (13.0)
  • Was the dominant post player in NCAA Final Four against #3/3 Iowa (Mar. 31), finishing with 14 rebounds, including nine offensive boards that yielded eight of her 14 points
  • Scored all 13 of her points in the second half against Tennessee in the SEC title game (Mar. 5)
  • Grabbed nine of her 12 boards in the SEC Tournament semifinal against Ole Miss (Mar. 4) in the second quarter alone
  • Offensively strong against Georgia (Feb. 26), scoring nine of her 13 points as part of a 10-5 run in the third quarter
  • Named SEC Player of the Week after putting up an SEC career-high 18 points with 13 rebounds against #3/2 LSU (Feb.12), grabbing nine boards in the first half and netting 16 points in the second half to close the door on the Tigers
  • Earned her fifth double-double of the season at #5/4 UConn (Feb. 5) with 11 of her 17 points coming in a 15-7 second-quarter run, including the game tying layup to end the first half … scored 10 points off her nine offensive boards
  • Tied a career high 16 boards against Arkansas (Jan. 22) with seven in the first quarter as part of her fourth double-double of the season and second in as many games
  • Scored five of her nine points at Mississippi State (Jan. 8) during a 10-2 run to end the third and start the fourth quarter after the Bulldogs had closed within a point
  • Was a force on the glass against South Dakota State (Dec. 15), tallying 15 boards (31.3% of the team total)
  • Named SEC Player of the week (Dec. 6) after leading the team in scoring (17.0) and coming in second in rebounding (9.5) in the team’s two dominant wins over #15/17 UCLA (Nov. 29) and Memphis (Dec. 3)
  • Integral piece of fourth-quarter rally against #15/17 UCLA (Nov. 29), posting 10 of her 16 points and three of her five blocks against the Bruins in the final period to help pull away
  • Dominated the third quarter at #17/18 Maryland (Nov. 11) with nine points on 4-of-4 shooting as Gamecocks pulled  away late in the quarter

Sophomore Year (2021-22)

  • Part of first team in program history to be ranked No 1 in both the AP and the USA Today Coaches’ Polls every week of the season and program’s second National Championship
  • Team posted program-record 14 wins over ranked opponents and claimed the SEC Regular-Season title
  • Missed five games due to competing with Brazil in FIBA World Cup qualifying (Feb. 10-13), injury (Feb. 17, Feb. 27) and health and safety protocols (Jan. 6)
  • Ranked ninth in the SEC in blocks per game (1.44)
  • Led the team in rebounding twice and posted two double-doubles on the season
  • Driving force in NCAA Tournament win over Miami (Mar. 20), converting three three-point plays, including on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter after the lead had narrowed to 10 points.
  • Returned to action vs. #12/8 Tennessee (Feb. 20) adding eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 19 minutes
  • Posted big second quarter vs. Alabama (Feb. 3) with eight rebounds, three blocked shots and six points in the period
  • Had perhaps her best all-around game at South Carolina, hitting 7-of-9 shots for 14 points to go with eight rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench at Missouri (Dec. 30)
  • Helped hold Kansas St. (Dec. 3) to just seven field goals in the first half, totaling six rebounds and three blocked shots in 12 minutes of action in the opening 20 minutes en route to her second double-double of the season
  • Scored the first field goal of the fourth quarter against #2/2 UConn (Nov. 22) to continue a 7-0 run that broke the last tie of the game and grabbed three of her six rebounds in that period to seal the victory
  • Needed just 16 minutes to record her first double-double as a Gamecock against Buffalo (Nov. 20) with 10 rebounds to go with 12 points, including four during a 7-2 third-quarter run that turned back Buffalo momentum … also set a career high with six assists

Freshman Year at Syracuse (2020-21)

  • Became the first in program history to earn ACC Freshman of the Year honors, adding league co-Defensive Player of the Year and All-ACC First Team honors to her resume as well
  • Ranked 16th in the ACC in scoring (13.6), ninth in rebounding (8.0), second in field goal percentage (.576) and led the team in blocks per game (2.7)
  • Posted five double-doubles and 20 double-digit scoring games, including three 20-point outings
  • Helped team to NCAA Tournament second round and a fourth-place finish in the ACC
  • Scored the game winner on a putback against Florida State in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal

High School

  • Ranked the No. 1 center and No. 5 overall player in the Class of 2020
  • Earned McDonald’s All-America stats after averaging 24.1 points, 15.8 rebounds and 9.2 blocks as a senior
  • Played four seasons at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn., after moving to the U.S. when she was 15 years old

Personal

  • Daughter of Janete Soares … has one sister
  • Majoring in psychology