Did Kamilla Cardoso lock up the No. 2 pick in the WNBA Draft with Final Four run?
Kamilla Cardoso is headed to the WNBA after playing a vital role in the South Carolina Gamecocks winning a second national championship in three seasons. But will she be the No. 2 overall pick behind presumed top selection Caitlin Clark?
By Lior Lampert
Despite losing 2023 No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick Aliyah Boston and four additional starters from last year’s Final Four team, the South Carolina Gamecocks became the tenth team in women’s college basketball history to finish undefeated, capping off the historic season with a national championship victory over Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Head coach Dawn Staley and South Carolina pulled off a remarkable and improbable feat, especially considering the circumstances and one of the main reasons why was the stellar player of center Kamilla Cardoso.
Cardoso earned Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors en route to guiding the Gamecocks to their second title in three seasons roughly a week after taking to social media to announce that she will be declaring for the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Following a decorated collegiate career and impressive March Madness run, Cardoso is forgoing her final year of NCAA eligibility and cashing in her chips in hopes of being one of the top players selected in the draft. However, considering Clark is the presumed No. 1 overall pick after being named AP Player of the Year for a second consecutive season, she is arguably the next-best prospect.
Did Kamilla Cardoso lock up the No. 2 pick in the WNBA Draft?
After averaging 14.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 59.4 percent from the field this past season and becoming only the fifth player with at least 15 points and 15 rebounds in a title game in the victory over Iowa on Sunday, Cardoso projects to be selected fourth overall by the Los Angeles Sparks, per Michael Voepel of ESPN.
Cardoso is an incredibly dominant interior presence on both ends of the floor, using her 6-foot-7 frame to thrive in the paint offensively while being an elite rim protector on the defensive side of the ball, and will instantly be one of the tallest players in the WNBA, which should enable her to continue putting her size to good use at the pro level.
While Cardoso solidified her status as a top-ranked draft prospect by leading South Carolina to yet another national championship, she is not guaranteed to be the second overall pick. Cameron Brink of Stanford and Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson are also in contention to be selected with the No. 2 pick, which also belongs to the Sparks.
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