# Kamilla Cardoso

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) and for the Shanghai Swordfish of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). She played college basketball at Syracuse and South Carolina. She won two national championships with South Carolina in 2022 and 2024, and was named NCAA Tournament MOP in 2024. Cardoso was selected 3rd overall in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky.

## Early life

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. 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. She was the highest-rated recruit in program history.

## 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. 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. Following the season, Cardoso transferred to South Carolina. 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. 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.
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. Cardoso graduated shortly after the 2024 WNBA draft, having majored in psychology.

## Professional career
### WNBA
#### Chicago Sky (2024–present)

Cardoso was selected 3rd overall in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky. In her first pre-season game against the Minnesota Lynx, Cardoso suffered a shoulder injury that caused her to miss the first six games of the 2024 WNBA season. She made her debut on June 1, posting 11 points and 6 rebounds off the bench in 18 minutes in a 70–71 loss to the Indiana Fever. After the Sky starting center Elizabeth Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury, Cardoso was slotted into the starting lineup. On June 8, she made her debut as a starter and recorded 13 points and 5 rebounds in 21 minutes in a 71–80 loss to the Atlanta Dream. Cardoso's season ended prematurely as she re-aggravated her shoulder injury and did not play in the last two games. In her rookie season, Cardoso averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks and finished the year ranked second in the league in offensive rebounds per game at 3.0, which ranked only behind teammate Angel Reese. After the season, she was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team.

### Overseas

Cardoso signed with the Shanghai Swordfish of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association for the 2024–2025 season.

## 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. 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. 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. 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. She was still chosen for the tournament's all-star team, with averages of 15.3 points and 11 rebounds.

## Career statistics

| * | Denotes season(s) in which Cardoso won an NCAA Championship |

### WNBA
#### Regular season

Stats current through end of 2024 regular season
WNBA regular season statistics :
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
| 2024 | Chicago | 32 | 29 | 27.4 | .521 | — | .726 | 7.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 9.8 |
| Career | 1 year, 1 team | 32 | 29 | 27.4 | .521 | — | .726 | 7.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 9.8 |

### College

NCAA statistics :
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
| 2020–21 | Syracuse | 24 | 23 | 23.5 | .576 | .000 | .602 | 8.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 13.6 |
| 2021–22* | South Carolina | 32 | 0 | 13.3 | .553 | — | .717 | 5.1 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 5.4 |
| 2022–23 | South Carolina | 36 | 0 | 18.8 | .559 | — | .694 | 8.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 9.8 |
| 2023–24* | South Carolina | 33 | 32 | 25.3 | .594 | 1.000 | .659 | 9.7 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 14.4 |
| Career | 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. The series (from Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions and Words & Pictures) followed Cardoso, Iowa's Caitlin Clark, and UCLA's Kiki Rice throughout their 2023-24 season and postseason.