Kamilla Cardoso’s family had never seen her play college basketball in person. South Carolina’s 6-foot-7 forward made sure it was well worth what it took to get her mother and sister from Brazil to Colonial Life Arena.
Watch the touching moment here:
Cardoso had 18 points and 14 rebounds in the top-ranked Gamecocks’ 76-68 victory over Tennessee on Sunday, with her mother, Janete Soares, and older sister, Jessica Silva, on hand for her senior day ceremony.
Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley surprised her leading scorer and rebounder Saturday when she brought Soares and Silva to practice. Cardoso covered her face with her hands, and the trio shared a long hug during the unexpected reunion, which South Carolina posted on social media.
“This is an incredible moment for all of us,” Staley said Saturday, “for someone who has made incredible sacrifices for her family for the past eight years.
“We got a chance to do something pretty special. Yep, Kamilla. Let’s bring the people who also made that sacrifice for the past eight years,” Staley continued. “To be away from your family as long as you’ve been away from your family, we wanted to make this day special.”
Soares and Silva joined Cardoso on the court Sunday as she was honored for her three seasons with the Gamecocks. Soares had a Brazilian flag draped around her as the fans cheered.
After the game, Staley said the visit had been in the works for some time and almost did not happen when the two were initially barred from entering the United States.
Staley got in touch with Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. His staffers, along with several South Carolina administrators, were able to secure visas for Cardoso’s relatives.
Fellow Gamecocks senior Te-Hina Paopao said Cardoso was moved by having her family close by.
“It was just an amazing moment for us, for her to experience that,” Paopao said. “It was very heartwarming to see that.”
Staley said Cardoso had returned to Brazil several times during her career for family time, but this was different.
“To play in front of your family with all of us, I know she wanted to win and play extremely well,” the coach said. “And I thought she did that.”
News
BREAKING: Legendary Olympian Nadia Comăneci, the first athlete in gymnastics history to score a perfect 10.0 at the 1976 Summer Olympics, has sent a “devastating” message that could impact Simone Biles’ popularity..
Nadia Comăneci’s “Devastating” Message: What It Means for Simone Biles’ Popularity In the world of gymnastics, Nadia Comăneci is a name etched in golden letters. The Romanian…
VIDEO: Tyreek Hill Fires Brutal Shots At Noah Lyles, Claims He’ll Beat The Olympic Champion In A Race
VIDEO: Tyreek Hill Fires Brutal Shots At Noah Lyles, Claims He’ll Beat The Olympic Champion In A Race Tyreek Hill and Kay Adams (Photo via @UpAndAdamsShow Twitter)…
Simoпe Biles υrges the US sports delegatioп: ‘Kick Brittпey Griпer to the cυrb,’ ‘We caп’t have those who kпeel waviпg oυr flag”
In a surprising twist ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Simone Biles, the celebrated American gymnast, has reportedly called for the expulsion of basketball star Brittney Griner…
Simone Biles Reveals Her Bad Experience With Botox she recently got Botox for her birthday
The Olympic gymnast got candid with her fans on social media revealing she recently got Botox for her birthday. Simone Biles of the United States competes on…
Athlete disqualified from Olympic Games seconds into event over her outfit,The Olympian made a bold choice
Athlete disqualified from Olympic Games seconds into event over her outfit An Olympic athlete was disqualified on Friday after she wore an outfit that bore a ‘political’…
End of content
No more pages to load