South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and WNBA rookie Kamilla Cardoso

Former South Carolina forward Kamilla Cardoso was personally recruited by Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley and she repaid the faith by helping the legendary coach to an unbeaten third national championship.

Cardoso was picked No. 3 overall by the Chicago Sky during the 2024 WNBA draft, and on Saturday, she wished the three-time national championship-winning coach a happy birthday on her Instagram stories with a collage of pictures between the pair.

“Happy birthday to the GOAT herself! May your day be as legendary as you are. Love you coach,” she wrote.

Kamilla Cardoso shows chemistry with ex-rival

WNBA star Kamilla Cardoso played for the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Southeastern Conference and regularly clashed with now Chicago Sky teammate, Angel Reese, who played for the LSU Tigers.

There were several clashes between the pair, most recently during the SEC Tournament championship game, where Reese pulled Cardoso’s hair while the latter barged into the former repeatedly while attacking the rim.

Their battles were intense as both tried to get the better of the other. They consistently showed their excellence by leading their teams to the last two national championships as well.

Therefore, it was surprising when they were drafted by the same team, Cardoso at No. 3 and Angel Reese at No. 7 overall. Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon revealed to the team’s reporters why they picked the rookies despite their chequered history.

“They come in with a tremendous amount of belief in themselves, knowing what they can do. But also, they understand the little things they must be better at. When you have that, you know that they will buy into to becoming better than what they are now,” Weatherspoon said.

“If you’ve ever really watched them, they compete. At all costs, they wanna win. Come from winning programs, they’re coached very well. And I like it.”

Kamilla Cardoso and Reese had the chance to show off their chemistry in their team’s preseason clash against the Minnesota Lynx, a fixture they lost 92-87.

Reese dished a sumptuous assist to Cardoso during the game highlighting the possibilities of their partnership.

Cardoso tallied six points and four rebounds in the encounter, while Reese finished with 13 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes of action.

Chicago Sky fans will hope that the chemistry between Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese will help lead them to glory as both rookies have shown an intense willingness to win.