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South Carolina women’s basketball alum Kamilla Cardoso had a strong rookie season in the WNBA this summer. To continue her development on the court, Cardoso spent this winter playing in the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). The trip East worked out for the 6’7″ center as she earned the WCBA International Player of the Year award. She also led her Shanghai Swordfish squad to a better finish in the standings than in 2024.
The Chinese league’s MVP among non-Chinese players, Cardoso averaged (including the playoffs) 20.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. She also shot a preposterous 64.7% on her attempts from the field. Showcasing her dominance, Cardoso logged season-best, single-game numbers of 40 points, 20 rebounds, and 9 assists.
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The Chicago Sky center will return to the WNBA this summer with hopes of continuing her standout performances. Last year, Cardoso got a late start due to injury. Even still, she managed to average 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. She also made 52.1% of the shots she took from the floor en route to WNBA All-Rookie honors.
As she heads into year two alongside fellow sophomore (and former SEC rivals) Angel Reese in the Sky frontcourt, Cardoso remains one-half of the league’s top young post duo. If both Cardoso and Reese take another step, they could become one of the W’s best duos, regardless of age. The center and power forward combo combined for over 20 points and 20 rebounds per game in 2024.
After a somewhat “down year” in the WNBA in 2023, fellow post player Jonquel Jones became the WCBA International Player of the Year last winter and then reclaimed her WNBA All-Star form upon her return to the United States. If this winter proves to help Cardoso in the same way, perhaps a WNBA All-Star berth could be in her future. Last year, three other Gamecocks (A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, and Allisha Gray) made the All-Star Game.
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During her South Carolina career, Cardoso was one of the best post players in program history. Following her transfer from Syracuse, she was one of the country’s top bench options for two seasons. Then, she became an All-American as a senior. Cardoso also earned multiple All-SEC honors, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and National Defensive Player of the Year while in garnet and black. She won two national titles with the Gamecocks before becoming a first-round WNBA Draft selection in 2024.
