Kamilla Cardoso an X-factor in USC win over Miami. And she did it with a smile

Kamilla Cardoso is one of South Carolina’s most ferocious blockers. Standing at 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, the Gamecocks’ sophomore center is a matchup nightmare for opposing shooters.

There’s an intensity to Cardoso’s play, but there’s also pure joy. She’s often seen with a grin on her face — and it’s one of the things her teammates love about her.

“She just naturally is a giggly person,” USC junior guard Brea Beal said. “In practice, she can turn the ball over and just laugh and say, ‘Sorry.’ She’s just uplifting, and I just love that about her because it gets me going, too. It’s just a happy joy for her.”

Cardoso’s teammates also appreciate the impact she makes on the floor. Cardoso stepped up for the top-seeded Gamecocks (31-2) on both ends in their 49-33 win over No. 8 Miami in the NCAA tournament’s second round Sunday, the X-factor in punching USC’s ticket to an eighth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance.

She scored a team-high 11 points on 4 of 9 shooting, went 3 of 5 from the free throw line, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked four shots against the Hurricanes.

Cardoso stepped up as a key post player in a game where star forward Aliyah Boston was largely stifled. Boston, who clinched her 26th straight double-double in the game’s final moments, finished with 16 rebounds and 10 points on 4 of 15 shooting, her lowest field goal percentage of the season.

Head coach Dawn Staley has been harping on Cardoso to take more shots since she arrived as a transfer from Syracuse this season.

Cardoso didn’t eclipse her South Carolina high in field goal attempts (11 vs. Kansas State in December), but she made the biggest impact of her Gamecocks’ career in a game where USC shot a season-low 29.5% (18 of 61) from the field.

Staley wants to see Cardoso play like she did Sunday more often.

“I hope she packs that part of her game because she gives us an incredible option, especially when Aliyah wasn’t having the night that she normally has,” Staley said. “It’s good to have another post player step up, command the ball, shoot the ball and be efficient at it.”

Cardoso had her best game since Feb. 3, when she scored eight points with nine rebounds and five blocks against Alabama.

After rolling over the Crimson Tide, Cardoso left the Gamecocks for two games while she played overseas with the Brazilian national team. She’s also been nursing an upper-body injury that saw her head to the tunnel in the third quarter of USC’s first-round win over Howard.

Sunday’s game against Miami was probably one of the matchups Cardoso wanted to play in the most, Staley said. She transferred to South Carolina from Syracuse, where she played in the ACC against Miami last season.

“Maybe there is something there that we didn’t know about, just maybe it being a rivalry,” Staley said.

As the Gamecocks head to Greensboro, North Carolina with a trip to the Final Four in Minneapolis on their minds, Staley hopes to see Cardoso continue to grow as a shooter.

Whether or not a grin stays on Cardoso’s face isn’t a concern for Staley.

“I really don’t care if they’re smiling or growling,” Staley said. “I just want them to help us win basketball games. Kamilla is — you know, that’s her. That’s her personality. I don’t really want to change that.”

Sweet Sixteen: South Carolina in NCAA tournament

Who: No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (30-2, 15-1 SEC) vs. No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels (24-6, 13-5 ACC) OR No. 4 Arizona Wildcats (21-7, 10-6 Pac-12)

When: Friday, time TBA

Where: Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.

Watch on TV and stream: TBA