NEW YORK — South Carolina Gamecocks center Kamilla Cardoso has been picked by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA Draft, the latest accolade for the star who's just coming off helping lead her team to a national title.
The Sky took her with the third overall pick in the first round of the draft, which was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City. Moments later, she learned she'll be teammates with one of the other big names in women's college basketball: LSU star Angel Reese. Reese was picked by the Sky with the seventh overall pick.
It was a quick turnaround for Cardoso, after she made an appearance at the Gamecocks national championship victory parade in downtown Columbia a day earlier, hoisting the championship trophy for stretches of the parade route.
Cardoso, who's 6'7" tall, was projected for months to be one of the top selections in the draft, as her combination of height, power, and post skills are highly coveted by teams across the WNBA.
She's coming off an impressive run in the postseason that no doubt raised her stock for teams looking to select her. In the SEC Tournament, she hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to save the team against Tennessee and protect the Gamecocks' unbeaten record, which ultimately allowed them to complete the first undefeated season in South Carolina history.
In the Final Four she was dominant, including 15 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots in the team's 87-75 win over Iowa in the National Championship game. For her efforts, she was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player, joining A'ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston as other Gamecocks to win the award.
The Brazilian native finished high school in Tennessee and was named a McDonald's All-American and was one of the top prospects in her recruiting class. She signed with Syracuse and played one season with the Orange, becoming an All-ACC selection in her first year.
Cardoso then made the decision to transfer to South Carolina in the off-season, joining a Gamecock team that already had star center Aliyah Boston.
This past season, she was the team's leading scorer and rebounder with over 14 points a game and 9 rebounds. She was an All-SEC selection, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and was second team on the Associated Press All-American team.