Kamilla Cardoso’s Brazilian Roots – Exploring Future WNBA Star’s Ethnicity and Journey to USA

Published 04/15/2024, 8:49 AM EDT

Kamilla Cardoso has ended her collegiate career on a high, winning the NCAA Championship for the second time in three years with the Gamecocks. A 6-foot-7 center from Brazil, she spent the past three seasons at South Carolina after beginning her collegiate career at Syracuse. After coming off the bench for the past 2 years for the Gamecocks, she started in 32 games this season. She won the NCAA Most Outstanding Player 2024 and has earned plaudits from legends of the game. All this while, she has not shied away from her Brazilian ethnicity.

During games, she has shown off her Brazilian soccer dribbling skills and tried to shoot the overhead scoreboard. Sometimes her flair is misunderstood but her teammates stood up for her. Ashlynn Watkins commented, “She’s just silly and she’s always doing crazy stuff like that for no reason.”

The 22-year-old was born in Montes Claros, Brazil. At the age of 15, she left her home and family behind and traveled to another country. Cardoso grew up enjoying soccer, volleyball, and swimming and diving more than basketball but decided to give the sport a whirl after her sister’s coach insisted. Her plans did not include a trip to the US. Because of the language barrier, it made sense for her to travel to Portugal. So how did she end up in the US?

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As per The Athletic‘s article from March 2024, Kamilla Cardoso stated, “This agent came along again and he was like, well, I don’t think Portugal is the best fit for you. You’re 6-5. You’re 14 years old. You should go play in the United States. You have the potential to do so over there.“ Cardoso got the confidence because of her mother’s blessings. Janete Soares knew her daughter was talented and she would have to move away from Brazil to make a name.

Kamilla Cardoso’s journey away from home

Taking the advice from the agent and her mother’s blessing, she arrived in the US. She earned a scholarship from Hamilton Heights Christian Academy. At a young age, Coach Keisha Hunt was impressed by Cardoso’s hooping skills but knew she would need technical help to become more sound.

Convincing the former athletic director and principal was another task for Hunt. After multiple attempts to convince them, Hunt got her wish. When Cardoso arrived she only knew 4 English words; “Hi,” “Yes,” “Bye,” and 4th “McDonald’s.” Her teammates and coach used Google Translate to make her feel comfortable.

Cardoso blossomed into a five-star recruit in the Class of 2020 and the nation’s No. 5 prospect, per ESPN recruiting rankings. She signed with Syracuse where she won the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2020-21, and also the ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Cardoso ranked 16th in the ACC in scoring (13.6 points per game), ninth in rebounding (8.0), and second in field goal percentage (.576), while leading the Orange in blocks per game (2.7). She also posted five double-doubles and 20 double-digit scoring games.

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Next season she entered the transfer portal and signed with the Gamecocks, which was also one of the teams on her shortlist. She won the National title in her first year in South Carolina itself. After winning the championship for the second time recently, she explained how it was her best decision. She said, “I just made the best decision of my life … coming here to South Carolina and play for the best coach in the nation, the best team.”

Kamilla Cardoso has come a long way from the terrified 15-year-old, missing home and needing Google Translate for everyday life to be confident in being herself and winning championships. The next chapter in her life is the WNBA draft, where she is expected to be a top-3 pick.

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Written by:

Pranav Kotai is an NBA beat writer at EssentiallySports. With a master's in sports management and a lifelong passion for basketball, Pranav has an eye for understanding NBA like no other. Pranav is an open encyclopedia of all storylines, with a well-rounded approach to his writing, especially for his favorites like NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley.

Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth

Kamilla Cardoso’s Brazilian Roots – Exploring Future WNBA Star’s Ethnicity and Journey to USA

Kamilla Cardoso’s journey away from home

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