A fiery Kamilla Cardoso steps up as South Carolina’s ‘X-Factor’ in win over UConn

South Carolina junior center Kamilla Cardoso rejected an Aubrey Griffin layup attempt out of bounds in the third quarter of USC’s game against UConn, offering a stern look as she walked to the team huddle.

That’s a new look.

Cardoso is known for smiling. She typically runs up and down the court after every play with at least a grin showing on her face.

But in No. 1 South Carolina’s 81-77 win Sunday against the No. 5 Huskies, she maintained a fierce attitude en route to a 17-point, 11-rebound performance.

“It starts in practice,” head coach Dawn Staley said. “She really has to take it a lot more seriously because there’s not a whole lot like her. She’s mobile. She’s efficient. She rebounds the basketball, even if it’s her own misses.”

South Carolina (23-0) struggled to find any offense early and trailed 25-14 through the first quarter. That’s when Cardoso inserted herself into the game plan and helped the Gamecocks find buckets.

At 6-foot-7, Cardoso is one of the tallest players in women’s college basketball and 2 inches taller than teammate and reigning National Player of the Year Aliyah Boston.

She scored 11 points in Sunday’s second quarter, making all four of her shots and 3 of 4 free throws. She managed to score as the Gamecocks found her inside, or as her teammates missed shots that she cleaned up.

She far and away led the game in scoring during that 10-minute stretch, and she even exceeded UConn’s second-quarter point total as a team (nine).

“Kamilla was the switch,” Boston said. “I think she was just dominant. She got the ball, she rebounded, she scored and she made it hard for them. That’s what we’ve been working on in practice, just her continuing to be dominant.”

Cardoso remained in the game for the entirety of the second quarter, along with Boston, Raven Johnson, Zia Cooke and Laeticia Amihere.

Boston and Cooke — USC’s two leading scorers — were a combined 0-of-13 from the floor in the first half, and USC was in danger because of it. Cardoso’s production and presence helped the team remain competitive when the game was in the balance.

“She needs to play that way all the time,” Staley said. “If she doesn’t have the performance that she had today, we lose the basketball game.”

Cardoso’s smiles on the court don’t detract from her play. She’s third on the team in scoring this season and second in rebounding. Staley earlier this season said the veteran had “turned the page” to be a more reliable asset for USC.

Cardoso didn’t have a great start to SEC play, but over the last five games she’s averaging 11.4 points and 10.6 rebounds.

Johnson played with Cardoso as an AAU teammate, giving them a natural chemistry together. Johnson — who also poured in 14 points Sunday, a career-high — looked for Cardoso often.

“I’ve been playing with her for years, so I know what she can bring to the table,” Johnson said. “I always tell her ‘You’re the X-factor for this team. There’s nobody that can stop you.’ ”

Cardoso’s play opened the door for Boston to shine in the second half. Boston scored 23 of her game-high 26 points after halftime.

Cardoso and Boston shared the court for a big portion of Sunday’s game, contributing to USC’s 38 points in the paint.

“Teams have to figure out how to guard both,” Boston said. “We’ve been playing together for a while now, so it doesn’t really affect me much. I just know what she’s doing. I know what we want, especially when we’re in the game together.”

Cardoso’s night ended in the fourth quarter, when she fouled out of the game.

After being called for a personal foul, she picked up a technical foul after quickly slamming the ball on the ground. Cardoso got emotional after the play, and her teammates consoled her while she appeared to be tearing up.

South Carolina managed to hold on for the win, with much credit due to Cardoso’s second-quarter heroics — and the passion she brought with her play.

“I told her, ‘You’re not a robot,’ ” Staley said of Cardoso reacting to the foul call. “You have emotions. I thought it was quick. ... I’m not going to beat our players up for being who they are.”