Kamilla Cardoso

Awards

At South Carolina
2x All-SEC (2024 1st team; 2023 2nd team)
WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year (2024)
SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2024)
SEC 6th Woman of the Year (2023)
SEC All-Defensive Team (2024)
NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (2024)
NCAA Albany 1 Regional Most Outstanding Player (2024)
SEC All-Tournament Team (2024)
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

Career
3rd – Blocked shots average in a career (2.0)
5th – Blocked shots in a career (198)
10th – Double-doubles in a career (27)
10th – Offensive rebounds in a career (317)
3rd – Blocked shots average in career SEC games (1.9)
4th – Rebounding average in career SEC games (8.3)
4th – Double-doubles in career SEC games (11)

Season
2nd – Offensive rebounds in a season (134 in 2022-23)
5th – Field goal percentage in a season (.594 (193-325) in 2023-24)

Bio Information

Career Summary

• Critical part of best seasons in program and NCAA history – in 2021-22, first team to be ranked No 1 in both the AP and the USA Today Coaches’ Polls every week of the season … in 2022-23, group went on to become just third program in history of AP Poll to hold No. 1 spot every week in back-to-back seasons … in 2023-24, team became just fifth program in NCAA history to go undefeated and win a National Championship with a program-record 38 wins and ran SEC win streak to league-record 47 games, which is 10th-best conference win streak in NCAA history
• Among the first group of Gamecocks to win two National Championships (2022, 2024) and helped team reach the Final Four in her other season
• Helped Gamecocks to three SEC regular-season titles and two SEC Tournament crowns, losing just SEC regular-season game in her career
• Career awards include All-America, WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year, All-SEC, All-ACC, SEC 6th Woman of the Year, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, ACC Freshman of the Year, ACC co-Defensive Player of the Year, NCAA Final Four MOP and NCAA Regional MOP
• Posted 74 double-digit scoring games in her 125 career games played (.592) to go with her 32 career double-doubles
• Averaged 10.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks for her career, including 9.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in three seasons as a Gamecock
• Scored her 1,000^th career point as part of her 11-point outing at Bowling Green (Dec. 19, 2023) and 1,000^th point as a Gamecock in the national championship game against Iowa (Apr. 7, 2024)
• Selected third overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky

Senior Year (2023-24)

• Led Gamecocks to undefeated National Championship season that included SEC Regular-Season and Tournament titles as well en route to a program-record 38 wins … starting 32 of her 33 games played
• Capped her college career as First-Team All-American, WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-SEC selection and SEC Defensive Player of the Year
• Led the SEC in field goal percentage (.594) and blocks per game (2.48), ranking 15^th and 14^th in the nation, respectively, with her field goal percentage ranking fifth in program’s history … was third in the SEC with 3.7 offensive rebounds per game (26^th in nation) and fourth with 16 double-doubles (24^th in NCAA)
• Ranked seventh in the nation in player defensive rating (73.4) and ninth in player offensive rating (128.6), which was best in the SEC
• Averaged nearly a double-double on the season with 14.4 points per game (14^th in SEC) and 9.7 rebounds per game (6^th in SEC)
• Named Most Outstanding Player of Final Four and Albany 1 Regional, pouring in 16.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per NCAA Tournament game on 63.7 percent shooting, including three double-doubles and two 22-point games
• Turned in the last of her 32 career double-doubles in the National Championship game against #2/2 Iowa (Apr. 7) with seven of her 15 points coming in the pivotal second quarter to go with her career-high 17 rebounds
• Scored 12 of the team’s 16 second-quarter points in the NCAA semifinal game against #11/11 NC State (Apr. 5) in the second quarter, en route to a game-high 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting in the game
• Individually matched #12/15 Oregon State’s (Mar. 31) six points in the first 3:30 of the third quarter of the Elite 8 game to set up a 12-0 run, then grabbed four of her nine rebounds in the fourth quarter to help seal the win
• Named to SEC All-Tournament team after averaging 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks at the event
• Delivered game-winning 3-pointer as time expired in SEC Tournament semifinal against Tennessee (Mar. 9) to finish with team-high 13 points to go with three blocks
• Posted her 13th double-double of the season against Tennessee (Mar. 3), including a team-high four points and four rebounds (three offensive) in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory
• Returned in full force at Tennessee (Feb. 15), putting up seven points in the final quarter to finish with a team-high 18 points in addition to 10 boards for her 11th double-double of the season
• Had a standout game against Vanderbilt (Jan. 28), finishing with a new SEC career-high 23 points, dropping 13 in the third quarter in just nine minutes on the court
• Extended her double-double streak to three against Mississippi State (Dec. 7), putting up seven points in the opening quarter en route to 13 points and 14 boards, in addition to matching her career high of six assists
• Scored the last of her 17 points against #11/7 Utah (Dec. 10) on a pair of free throws in a five-point game with 31 seconds to play
• Broke a tie game at Duke (Dec. 3) with the first of her eight fourth-quarter points and added the others on a personal 7-0 run that build a 13-point lead with 3:11 to play
• Grabbed seven of her 16 rebounds at #24/24 North Carolina (Nov. 30) and added two of her four blocks in the pivotal third quarter that saw UNC score just 12 points … snagged three defensive boards in 90-second span to help fuel a 6-0 Gamecock run midway through the period
• Burst into the season and a starting role with a 20-point, 15-rebound outing in the Gamecocks’ historic season debut in Paris with eight of her rebounds coming in the pivotal second quarter against #10/10 Notre Dame (Nov. 6) and 13 of her points coming in just 6:25 of the third quarter to shut the door on the Fighting Irish

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)
• 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
• Tied for team rebounding lead at SEC Tournament (9.3) and second in scoring (13.0)
• 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