South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, left, poses for a photo with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected third overall by the Chicago Sky during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft on April 15, 2024, in New York.
Adam Hunger/AP
The last 2 1/2 weeks of Sky center Kamilla Cardoso’s life have flown by, with one life-changing moment following another.
On April 7, Cardoso stood on a stage in Cleveland as confetti covered her and her South Carolina teammates’ shoulders after they capped a perfect season with an NCAA title under coach Dawn Staley.
Eight days later, Cardoso stood on another stage — this time in New York — and was showered with applause after the Sky made her the No. 3 pick in the WNBA Draft.
On Thursday, the 6-7 Cardoso will arrive in Chicago for training camp. In between, she somehow fit in a championship parade and an end-of-the-year gala before leaving Columbia, South Carolina.
It’s a swift shift from the celebrations to the preparation for her rookie season, but Cardoso is ready. After all, she comes from the Staley tree.
‘‘We produce pros,’’ Staley said. ‘‘No doubt about it.’’
In case there was any doubt, among the buds who have blossomed from Staley’s tree are two-time WNBA MVP and two-time league champion A’ja Wilson, 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston, Allisha Gray and Zia Cooke. Last year, eight of Staley’s former players were on WNBA rosters at the start of the season.
There are 13 former Gamecocks on WNBA training-camp rosters. The only program with more is UConn, which has 18 such players.
Cardoso contacted several former South Carolina players to ask them how to handle the quick turnaround from college to the WNBA. They all emphasized the importance of staying in shape, especially coming off a long college season that bleeds right into the 40-game WNBA season.
‘‘They just said it’s a big-girl job and that I’m going to have to grow up a lot,’’ Cardoso said.
Truthfully, Cardoso might be one of the best-prepared players for the professional level, considering what she already has sacrificed to pursue a basketball career.
At 15, Cardoso moved from her hometown of Montes Claros, Brazil, to Tennessee to play for Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga.
Cardoso was recruited by Staley out of high school, but it wasn’t until her sophomore year in college that she finally joined the Gamecocks’ program. She spent her freshman season at Syracuse before transferring.
When she arrived in Columbia, Cardoso developed behind Boston. It wasn’t until her senior season that she became a starter.
‘‘I think [our players] have an understanding of what it takes to be part of a team,’’ Staley said. ‘‘Although they may start or not start, it doesn’t devalue what it is they’re bringing to the table. They know what they can do.’’
Cardoso has a real chance to earn a starting role with the Sky under coach Teresa Weatherspoon.
Weatherspoon is a first-year coach with no promises to uphold or established systems in place. On top of that, the Sky’s frontcourt is unproven, aside from Elizabeth Williams. Isabelle Harrison is coming off an injury, and Brianna Turner averaged 3.5 points and 6.3 rebounds for the Mercury last season.
Everything is up for grabs with the Sky, and Cardoso is a rebounding machine. But she admitted she needs to improve her shooting range.
Staley, however, says efficiency isn’t Cardoso’s problem when it comes to shooting outside; it’s just a matter of getting her to take those shots more frequently.
As the game continues to trend toward a more positionless style of play, a true center such as Cardoso is a valuable anomaly.
‘‘You have to scheme to guard [Mercury center] Brittney Griner,’’ Staley said. ‘‘You’re going to have to scheme to guard Kamilla.’’