Cardoso leaves NCAAs win with apparent injury. Another Gamecock held out of opener
South Carolina sophomore center Kamilla Cardoso left with an apparent injury in Friday’s 79-21 NCAA women’s tournament win over Howard.
Staley did not immediately have an update on Cardoso during postgame interviews with reporters. On Saturday, Staley said Cardoso was feeling better.
Cardoso left Friday’s game with 2:59 to go in the third quarter and went into the Colonial Life Arena tunnel with a trainer. She emerged late in the game with an ice pack on her left shoulder.
Staley had previously described Cardoso as having an “upper-body” injury. She missed the Gamecocks’ final game of the regular season and has been limited at other times late in the year while playing with a shoulder brace.
The 6-foot-7 center joined the Gamecocks this season via transfer from Syracuse. She played nine minutes Friday, grabbed four rebounds and did not score.
Freshman guard Saniya Rivers did not play because of a “coach’s decision,” Staley said.
Rivers was leading all freshman with 13.3 minutes a game. Rivers will be dressing out Sunday, Staley said, but it will be a game-time decision whether or not she plays.
Other notes ahead of South Carolina’s second-round game in the tournament:
Zia Cooke ‘taking good shots’ despite inconsistency, Staley says
USC guard Zia Cooke scored five points on 2-of-15 shooting from the field Friday, with a 1-of-10 performance from 3-point range.
Cooke’s play against Howard continued an inconsistent shooting spell she’s encountered throughout the bulk of the 2021-22 season.
Cooke, one of the Gamecocks’ top scorers in last year’s tournament run, came into Friday’s game averaging 11.2 points and shooting 35% from the field. She scored three points in the SEC tournament semifinals against Ole Miss, and 15 the next day in the championship against Kentucky.
Staley said there isn’t anything technical going on with Cooke.
“Zia likes the ball to go in, and she’s gonna keep shooting it until she gets one to fall,” Staley said. “I don’t think it’s a physical thing when you don’t hit shots. It could play with you mentally and psychologically, but it doesn’t stop her from shooting.
“I don’t want to stop her from shooting. She’s taking good shots. She puts us in a position where we can rebound the basketball.”
Next up: No. 8 seed Miami
The Gamecocks advanced to face No. 8 seed Miami in a second-round game Sunday.
The Hurricanes (21-12, 10-8 ACC) made a run to the ACC championship, defeating No. 1 seed Louisville and No. 5 seed Notre Dame before earning an No. 8 seed in the Greensboro Region. They beat No. 9 South Florida 78-66 just before South Carolina’s win over Howard on Friday.
Staley and the Gamecocks were able to scout some of Miami’s game against USF before their game Friday, noting the Hurricanes’ efficient shooting (54% on 30 of 56 from the field, including 8 of 22 from 3-point range).
The game will be at 3 p.m. Sunday in Colonial Life Arena and will be televised by ABC.
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 4:27 PM.
