Kamilla Cardoso Explained

Kamilla Cardoso
Number:10
Position:Center
Height Ft:6
Height In:7
Weight Lb:215
League:WNBA
Team:Chicago Sky
Birth Date:30 April 2001
Birth Place:Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil
High School:Hamilton Heights Christian Academy
(Chattanooga, Tennessee)
College:
Draft League:WNBA
Draft Year:2024
Draft Round:1
Draft Pick:3
Draft Team:Chicago Sky
Career Start:2024
Years1:–present
Team1:Chicago Sky
Highlights:
Nationality:Brazilian

Kamilla Soares Cardoso (born 30 April 2001) is a Brazilian professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball at South Carolina and Syracuse.

High school career

A native of Montes Claros, Brazil, Cardoso played high school basketball for Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee. As a senior, she averaged 24.1 points, 15.8 rebounds and 9.2 blocks per game. Cardoso was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.[1] Rated a five-star recruit and the number five player in her class by ESPN, she committed to playing college basketball for Syracuse over offers from UConn, Ohio State, Mississippi State and South Carolina.[2] She was the highest-rated recruit in program history.[3]

College career

As a freshman at Syracuse, Cardoso was the team's starting center and averaged 13.6 points, eight rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, becoming the first player in program history to win the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year award.[3] She shared ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors from the league's coaches with Lorela Cubaj and was named first-team All-ACC by the Blue Ribbon Panel.[4] Following the season, Cardoso transferred to South Carolina.[3] As a sophomore, she was a reserve for Aliyah Boston, averaging 5.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and helping her team win the national championship.[5] In her junior season, Cardoso averaged 9.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game off the bench. She was named Southeastern Conference (SEC) Sixth Woman of the Year and second-team All-SEC.[6]

On 7 April 2024, Cardoso was named the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player following a dominant 15-point, 17-rebound performance in her team's 2024 national championship win.[7] Cardoso graduated shortly after the 2024 WNBA draft, having majored in psychology.[8]

National team career

Cardoso represented Brazil at the 2021 FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Puerto Rico. She averaged 9.9 points and eight rebounds per game, helping her team win the bronze medal.[9] Cardoso won a gold medal and earned MVP honors at the 2022 South American Basketball Championship in Argentina. She averaged 14.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in the tournament.[10] Cardoso led Brazil to a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Mexico, where she was named tournament MVP and averaged 10.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds in a 69–58 win against the United States in the final.[11] Cardoso rejoined the national team as they sought a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics through a qualifying tournament held in the Brazilian city of Belém. During the decisive game against Germany, Cardoso was fouled out after an altercation with Satou Sabally, leading to four free throws that led to a German win and Brazil's elimination.[12] She was still chosen for the tournament's all-star team, with averages of 15.3 points and 11 rebounds.[13]

Career statistics

Denotes season(s) in which Cardoso won a NCAA Championship

WNBA

Regular season

Stats current as of game on July 16, 2024|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2024| style="text-align:left;"| Chicago| 18 || 15 || 26.2 || .462 || — || .622 || 7.8 || 1.2 || 0.4 || 1.1 || 1.6 || 8.1|-| style="text-align:left;"| Career| style="text-align:left;"| 1 year, 1 team| 18 || 15 || 26.2 || .462 || — || .622 || 7.8 || 1.2 || 0.4 || 1.1 || 1.6 || 8.1

College

|-| width="10%" style="text-align:center;" | 2020–21| style="text-align:center;"| Syracuse| 24 || 23 || 23.5 || .576 ||.000|| .602 || 8.0 || 0.7 || 0.6 || 2.7 || 1.8 || 13.6|-| style="background:#ffcc00; width:3em; text-align:center;"| 2021–22*| style="text-align:center;"| South Carolina| 32 || 0 || 13.3 || .553 || — || .717 || 5.1 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 1.4 || 1.2 || 5.4|-| style="text-align:center;"| 2022–23| style="text-align:center;"| South Carolina| 36 || 0 || 18.8 || .559 || — || .694 || 8.5 || 0.9 || 0.4 || 1.9 || 1.1 || 9.8|-| style="background:#ffcc00; width:3em; text-align:center;"| 2023–24*| style="text-align:center;"| South Carolina| 33 || 32 || 25.3 || .594|| 1.000 || .659 || 9.7 || 2.0 || 0.6 || 2.5 || 1.5 || 14.4|- class="sortbottom"|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career|125||55||20.0||.575||.500||.662||7.9||1.2||0.5||2.1||1.4||10.6

Off the court

In popular culture

In March 2024, ESPN+ announced their new original docuseries, Full Court Press would premiere in May 2024.[14] The series (from Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions and Words & Pictures) will follow Cardoso, Iowa's Caitlin Clark, and UCLA's Kiki Rice throughout their 2023-24 season and post-season.[14] [15]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Curtis . Mike . How Syracuse center Kamilla Cardoso went from high school phenom to ACC's best rookie, defender . . 11 July 2023 . 4 March 2021.
  2. Web site: Emerman . Danny . Syracuse lands 5-star class of 2020 forward Kamilla Cardoso . . 11 July 2023 . 7 November 2019.
  3. Web site: Curtis . Mike . Former Syracuse women's basketball center Kamilla Cardoso transfers to South Carolina . . 14 July 2023 . 30 April 2021.
  4. Web site: ACC Women's Basketball Announces 2021 Award Winners . . 14 July 2023 . 2 March 2021.
  5. Web site: Cloninger . David . Gamecocks' Kamilla Cardoso chooses dominance after Dawn Staley sermon . . 14 July 2023 . 8 December 2022.
  6. Web site: Fowler . Chapel . Who starts and who sits for South Carolina WBB? Early projections for 2023 season . . 14 July 2023 . 6 July 2023.
  7. News: Cardoso is tournament's most outstanding player. Asher. Feldman. NBC News. 7 April 2024. 7 April 2024.
  8. Web site: IN PHOTOS: Chicago Sky rookies Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, and Brianna Taylor celebrate graduation with the crew. Opiyo, Cabral . Sportskeeda. May 20, 2024.
  9. Web site: Kamilla Soares (BRA)'s profile – FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2021 . . 11 July 2023.
  10. Web site: Wellbaum . Chris . South Carolina women's basketball: Kamilla Cardoso leads Brazil to a gold medal, captures MVP honors . Gamecock Central . 11 July 2023 . 6 August 2022.
  11. Web site: Kamilla Soares honored as MVP, leads All-Star Five at Women's AmeriCup . . 11 July 2023 . 10 July 2023.
  12. Web site: A milestone moment: Germany qualifies to the Olympics for the first time. February 12, 2024. FIBA.
  13. Web site: 2024 FIBA Women's Basketball Olympic Qualifier Tournaments: Emma Meesseman, Gabby Williams and the other standout players. Olympics. Hendricks, Maggie. 12 February 2024 .
  14. Garrett . Cowan . SNL, sold out jerseys, TV records. Caitlin Clark could be catalyst for women's basketball . ESPN Press Room . March 18, 2024.
  15. News: Chloe . Peterson . SNL, sold out jerseys, TV records. Caitlin Clark could be catalyst for women's basketball . Indianapolis Star . April 16, 2024.