But during her four years at Hamilton Heights, she was blessed with a very supportive team and staff. The team competed at an elite high school level, and Hunt, along with Cardoso’s talented teammates and competitors, helped her develop into a well-rounded player. Cardoso could already run up the court and developed the coordination to catch the ball while sprinting to the basket. Constant blocking by competitors made her more aware of her teammates, which resulted in her becoming a skilled passer. To overcome the language barrier, Cardoso’s teammates called plays in Portuguese.
Her verbal ability and on-court skills, especially her blocking and agility, were honed under Hunt and she excelled at Hamilton Heights, where she was captain. ESPN He repeatedly pointed to Cardoso’s “tremendous potential.” As a senior, she averaged 24.1 points, 15.8 rebounds and 9.2 blocks while being ranked by ESPN as the No. 1 center and No. 5 overall in the class of 2020. She was also named a McDonald’s All-American, a WBCA All-American, a Jordan Brand Classic Award winner and a Naismith Trophy finalist for women’s basketball in 2020.
4. At the collegiate level, she initially signed with Syracuse University.
As a freshman, Cardoso’s potential and speed caught the attention of several college coaches, including Syracuse’s DeLisha Milton-Jones and Quentin Hillsman, who described Cardoso as: Syracuse.com They “couldn’t miss” her as a “once-in-a-decade kid.” She was also the highest-rated high school freshman in the history of the Syracuse University program.
Cardoso began her collegiate career with a bang, accepting a scholarship to join the Orange in 2020. Cardoso had her best performance of the season, scoring 24 points and recording 7 rebounds in a win over Boston University. By the end of the season, she led the team in blocks with 2.7 per game, averaging 13.6 points and 8 rebounds.
Cardoso was also the first player in team history to win the ACC Freshman of the Year award and also earned Co-Defensive Player of the Year and All-ACC First Team honors.
5. Cardozo then transferred to the University of South Carolina.
The Orange lost to the University of Connecticut in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Entered the transfer portalShe confirmed that she is searching for a new team and coach.
And she found it in the Gamecocks. April 30, 2021, University of South Carolina Announced Cardozo joins the team under head coach Dawn Staley. Explained She is a “perfect fit for our program,” he said, noting that Cardoso’s “mobility, rebounding and scoring ability” are rare for someone her size.
6. She played a major role in the Gamecocks’ championship win.
In 2022, during Cardoso’s junior year, the team broke the school record with 36 wins and won the NCAA National Championship, Cardoso’s first championship. And she continued that momentum into her senior year, finishing her collegiate career in top form, leading the team in points, rebounds and blocks and earning the NCAA Most Valuable Player award.
