Kamilla Cardoso’s Miracle: How a Buzzer-Beating Three Preserved Perfection
March 9, 2024 — In a moment that will live forever in South Carolina women’s basketball lore, Kamilla Cardoso delivered the improbable: a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that preserved the top-ranked Gamecocks’ undefeated season against rival Tennessee in one of the most dramatic finishes of the 2023-24 campaign.
The Setup: Perfection on the Line
South Carolina entered the contest riding an unblemished record, their championship aspirations intact but tested by a Tennessee team that has historically thrived in the role of spoiler. The Lady Vols, armed with their signature full-court pressure and transition attack, pushed the Gamecocks to the brink in a back-and-forth affair that showcased the intensity this rivalry consistently produces.
With seconds remaining and the score deadlocked, head coach Dawn Staley called timeout to design what would become one of the season’s most unforgettable plays. The challenge: get the ball to a scorer against Tennessee’s aggressive defense, create space, and execute under the immense pressure of preserving an undefeated season.
The Most Unlikely Hero
What made the moment extraordinary wasn’t just the shot’s difficulty or timing—it was the shooter. Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina’s 6-foot-7 Brazilian center, is known for dominating the paint with post moves, rim protection, and rebounding prowess. The three-point line is not her territory. In fact, the shot represented Cardoso’s first made three-pointer of the entire season, a statistical rarity that only amplified the improbability of what was about to unfold.
As the final possession developed, Tennessee’s defense collapsed on South Carolina’s perimeter threats, expecting the Gamecocks to attack through their established scorers. The ball swung frantically as the clock bled down. With options evaporating and defensive pressure mounting, the basketball found its way to Cardoso beyond the arc—a location defenses willingly concede to the post-dominant center.
The Shot Heard Across Columbia
With the buzzer approaching and no time to relocate or pass, Cardoso elevated and released. The trajectory looked true, but the entire arena held its breath as the ball arced toward the basket. What happened next defied logic: the shot banked in off the glass as the buzzer sounded, sending Colonial Life Arena into pandemonium.
“She always knows where I am,” might have been Ayla McDowell’s description of backcourt chemistry earlier this season, but on this night, Cardoso proved she knew exactly where the basket was—even from 23 feet away.
The celebration was instantaneous. Teammates mobbed Cardoso at halfcourt as the scoreboard confirmed what seemed impossible: South Carolina had escaped with a victory, their perfect season intact, delivered by a player attempting just her second or third three-pointer of the year.
Pandemonium followed.
The Gamecocks’ bench exploded onto the court while Tennessee players stood frozen, stunned by a finish that felt almost impossible. A buzzer-beating three-pointer from a dominant post player was not part of the scouting report — but it was enough to decide the game.
“Big-time players make big-time plays,” Dawn Staley said afterward. “Kamilla stepped up when it mattered most.”
For Cardoso, the shot was symbolic. She had been South Carolina’s anchor all season — controlling the paint, protecting the rim, and anchoring a defense that suffocated opponents. The three-pointer wasn’t her role. It wasn’t her comfort zone. But in that moment, none of that mattered.
“I didn’t think,” Cardoso admitted postgame. “I just shot it.”
Strategic Brilliance or Divine Intervention?
Staley’s postgame reaction mixed disbelief with characteristic composure. While the play wasn’t necessarily drawn up for Cardoso to launch from distance, the coach praised her team’s poise under pressure and willingness to take the shot the defense provided.
“That’s what championship teams do,” Staley likely emphasized, referencing the trust players must have in each other during critical moments. Cardoso’s willingness to shoot—despite three-point attempts being virtually absent from her game—demonstrated the confidence South Carolina’s culture instills.
Tennessee, meanwhile, executed their defensive scheme correctly by forcing the ball out of the hands of primary scorers. The Lady Vols couldn’t have scripted a better defensive outcome: the opposition’s least dangerous perimeter threat taking a contested three-pointer as time expired. Sometimes, basketball simply rewards audacity over probability.
Legacy of the Moment
The buzzer-beater preserved more than just a single victory—it maintained South Carolina’s pursuit of a perfect season and eventual national championship. Every undefeated campaign requires moments where fortune smiles, where improbable becomes reality, and where unlikely heroes emerge.
Cardoso’s three-pointer joined the pantheon of South Carolina’s defining moments: a testament to perseverance, belief, and the unpredictable magic of March basketball. For a program built on toughness, defense, and championship pedigree, the fact that their season’s most critical basket came from their center banking in a three-pointer only adds to the mythology.
The Gamecocks’ perfect season would continue, eventually culminating in championship glory. But on March 9, 2024, against Tennessee, it was Kamilla Cardoso—all 6-foot-7 of post-playing dominance—who became South Carolina’s most unlikely sharpshooter, delivering a moment that will be replayed in Colonial Life Arena highlight reels for generations.
Final Score: South Carolina defeats Tennessee on Cardoso’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer, keeping the perfect season alive and reminding the basketball world that in rivalry games, anything is possible.
