Burley Garcia|Kamilla Cardoso formidable and immovable force for South Carolina, even when injured

CLEVELAND — Two words: Kamilla Cardoso. 

Who wouldn’t feel good with a 6-foot-7 player sitting in the paint,Burley Garcia especially a 6-foot-7 post who has steadily improved all season and was basically unstoppable against NC State on Friday night, scoring 22 points (on 10-of-12 shooting) and grabbing 11 rebounds in just 23 minutes.

The Gamecocks won 78-59 to advance to their third national championship game and will play Iowa in a rematch of last year's semifinal. The Hawkeyes defeated the UConn Huskies 71-69.

“You play to your strength,” coach Dawn Staley said, “and she’s a strength of ours.”That’s putting it mildly, though it was far from a smooth night for the Brazilian native. 

First, Cardoso had a contact issue, fiddling with her left lens when she went to the bench early in the first quarter. But after she got it figured out she owned the second quarter — and the Wolfpack — scoring 10 points in 3 minutes, 41 seconds.

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Then, panic. 

Gamecocks fans all held their breath when, with less than two minutes to play in the first half, Cardoso landed awkwardly under the basket after a missed shot and came up limping. 

It was instantly obvious Cardoso was in pain, hobbling and grimacing up and down the floor a couple times before committing a foul with 1:39 left — possibly to stop play and get out of the game. She didn’t bother going to the bench, instead heading immediately to the locker room. When she left, she had 16 points, seven rebounds and one block, leading South Carolina to a 32-31 halftime lead. 

When she started the second half, Cardoso was still in obvious pain. You could see it all over her face. But even if she’s not at full strength, she’s a load on the block. She scored eight points in eight minutes as South Carolina built as much as a 24-point lead in the third quarter, taking a 61-37 lead into the fourth. 

"It was hurting,” Cardoso said afterward in the locker room, “but I was gonna try to come out there no matter what.”She added that she’d seen the doctor already, and expected to play Sunday. The compression sleeve she put on at halftime helped keep her knee warm, a necessity for the next 40 or so hours before the Gamecocks tip off Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.Gamecocks guard Te-Hina Paopao called Cardoso “a beautiful Brazilian warrior” and, noting her toughness, said “she’s gonna play through some pain, she’s gonna push through that. She’s definitely gonna be OK.”

The most impressive part of Cardoso’s game isn’t the fact that she played through pain Friday night, however. It’s that she’s improved throughout the season. 

Most people take noticeable jumps in skill, strength or athleticism in the offseason, when they can devote hours to their craft. It’s hard to work on your individual game during the season, when you’re juggling class, scouting reports and daily practice that’s usually focused on the team. 

But just a couple months ago, Cardoso had a bad habit of getting buried on the block. She was often rushed when she caught the ball and took terrible angles on shots, frequently shooting underneath the rim. 

Against NC State, she looked like a first-team All-American. She was patient and polished, taking her time to feel the defense before going the other way and scoring — often through a few sets of outstretched arms.

Staley has noticed Cardoso’s improvement, too.“She’s a better practice player, a better preparer,” Staley said. “She’s more in tune, she knows exactly what we need her to do, she watches film a lot more on her own, and with Coach (Lisa) Boyer. She’s more willing to do all the things (we need to do) to create an advantage for her on the floor.”

For her size, she has impressive body control. And given her mobility, she could be making a case to move up to No. 2 in this month's WNBA draft. Iowa's Caitlin Clark is expected to be taken No. 1 by the Indiana Fever. (Stanford All-American Cameron Brink has long been projected to go second, to the Los Angeles Sparks; Tennessee's Rickea Jackson is projected to go third; Cardoso is expected to go No. 4, also to the Sparks.)

“Greatness is a process, and she’s still very much in the beginning stage of her greatness,” Staley said. “I think we will see her play a lot better when she’s with pro players.”

And none of this even takes into account her impact on defense, the end of the floor that has long been the Gamecocks’ calling card. 

South Carolina has been the top defensive team in the country all season, and Cardoso is a big reason why. Opposing teams are hesitant to drive to the rim or even pull up in the paint because of her ability to alter their shot. Every time an NC State player caught the ball when Cardoso was on the floor, you could practically see the questions pass through the minds of Wolfpack guards: Should I shoot it here? Or drive it and potentially get it sent to the fifth row?

Late in the third quarter, Cardoso got sent to the bench, taking some time on the exercise bike — the Gamecocks training staff was likely trying to keep her knee warm —  before enjoying the show her teammates put on. 

Sunday, it’ll be her turn to take center stage again. How much better can she get between now and then? The Iowa Hawkeyes don’t want to know. 

Contributing: Nancy Armour in Cleveland

Email Lindsay Schnell at [email protected] or follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell