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?

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