COLUMBIA, S.C. — In a moment that shook the basketball world, WNBA rising star Kamilla Cardoso announced a historic $5 million donation to the University of South Carolina women’s basketball program on Wednesday morning, leaving fans, players, and coaches in awe.
Cardoso, fresh off a sensational rookie campaign with the Chicago Sky, returned to her alma mater for what was expected to be a routine ceremony. Instead, she unveiled a stunning gift that will fund facility upgrades, academic support, and scholarships for future players — all in honor of the people who helped shape her into a champion on and off the court.
“This program is home,” Cardoso said during her emotional announcement at Colonial Life Arena. “Everything I’ve achieved — from an NCAA title to being drafted into the WNBA — started here, with the people who believed in me before the world did.”
Her donation, one of the largest ever made by a female professional athlete to a collegiate athletic program, will create the Cardoso Legacy Fund, aimed at supporting player development, mental health resources, and leadership training for student-athletes. The locker room and training complex will be renamed the Cardoso Champions Center in her honor.
Cardoso took time to single out head coach Dawn Staley, calling her “a second mother,” and praised teammates like Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke for pushing her to greatness. “They didn’t just make me a better player — they made me a better person,” she said.
Coach Staley, visibly moved, said, “Kamilla has always been a giant on the court, but today, she proved her heart is even bigger than her wingspan. She’s setting a new standard for what it means to give back.”
Cardoso’s gesture comes as the Gamecocks continue to dominate the college basketball landscape, adding yet another layer of legacy to a program already rich in tradition. Her donation is expected to inspire other former athletes to support women’s sports at a time when momentum and visibility are at an all-time high.
As the applause echoed across the arena, Cardoso simply smiled and said, “This is just the beginning.”
