Dawn Staley and the South Carolina women's basketball team advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament on Friday with a 79-75 victory over Indiana, thanks in large part to a strong performance from Kamilla Cardoso.
Cardoso, a 6'7 senior center, recorded a game-high 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks, as well as 4 assists, while shooting 10-12 from the field. The Gamecocks needed everything Cardoso could contribute as Indiana roared back from a 17-point halftime deficit to pull within two in the final minutes. After a timeout, however, Cardoso found Raven Johnson for a three-pointer, which put South Carolina back up by five and was just enough to stave off a successful Indiana comeback.
After the game, Cardoso explained to WLTX's Chandler Mack the key to her offensive success.
“I was just getting the post-ups. My teammates was able to find me and just pass me the ball. And I was just making the lay-ups, you know,” Cardoso said with a laugh. “I just go with the flow, let the game come to me. I know my teammates — I have great teammates — whenever they feel like I'm open, they gonna give me the ball, so I just go with the flow.”
Cardoso also said she locked eyes with Johnson before passing her the ball for the crucial three in the final minute of the game.
“I seen her open and you can tell in her eyes when she's gonna make a three,” Cardoso said. “We have a really good chemistry. We've played together for 8 years, guys!”
South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley credited Cardoso after the big win.
“She imposed her will, her strength. She used her body, she used her determination to put us on her back and carry us over the finish line,” Staley said.
Can Kamila Cardoso carry South Carolina to national title?
Since serving a one-game suspension for the first round of the NCAA tournament, Cardoso has been vital to South Carolina's two wins. In addition to her performance against Indiana, Cardoso recorded a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double in the Gamecocks' blowout win against North Carolina in the round of 32.
South Carolina remains the favorite to win the national championship, which would be the third in eight years, but the Gamecocks have a tough road ahead of them. South Carolina plays third-seeded Oregon State on Sunday in the Elite Eight. The Beavers beat Notre Dame, the second seed in the region, 70-65 to earn their Elite Eight appearance.
If South Carolina beats Oregon State, it will play the winner of No. 1 Texas and No. 3 NC State. Texas, which has a record of 33-4, has been one of the best teams in the country all season and figures to be one of the toughest challenges for South Carolina if the two teams meet.
Other teams still alive in the tournament include USC, Baylor, Duke, UConn, Colorado, UCLA, Iowa, and defending national champions LSU.
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