South Carolina HC Dawn Staley makes a cheeky offer to former Gamecocks star Kamilla Cardoso: "Coach got you!"

Former South Carolina Gamecocks star Kamilla Cardoso retains a unique relationship with charismatic coach Dawn Staley. This has remained the case even after Cardoso departed for the WNBA to the Chicago Sky. Cardoso and Staley won a national championship, unbeaten, together in the 2023-24 season.

Cardoso, who is a Brazilian, recently made a light-hearted bet with her former coach on which team would win the 2024 Paris Olympics women's soccer Gold. The wager was that the loser will have to wear the winner's jersey.

"Yooooooo @Kamillascsilva and I have a wager on this game. If she wins I wear a Brazilian jersey on the sideline for a game….if I win she wears during tunnel walk and IG live USWNT," Staley tweeted.

The USWNT won the match courtesy of a Mallory Swanson 57th-minute goal to give the team its fifth Olympics Gold medal. It also won Dawn Staley the bet and denied Kamilla Cardoso the bragging rights.

The win prompted the charismatic Staley to make a cheeky offer to the Chicago Sky rookie on X.

"Hey @Kamillascsilva! What size @USWNT jersey you need? Coach got you!!! Let’s gooooo!!!" Staley tweeted.

"Large jersey i guess @dawnstaley," Cardoso tweeted.

Kamilla Cardoso shares unique bond with Dawn Staley

South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley recruited Kamilla Cardoso from the Syracuse Orange and the pair have had exceptional success together. Cardoso was the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player when the team won the national championship unbeaten.

While speaking to reporters, Staley revealed the advice she gave Cardoso when the latter declared for the WNBA Draft and the qualities that made them so similar.

“The advice I would give Kamilla is: Stay locked in like she was at the Final Four,” Staley said. “I know she had a great career, a great three years at the University of South Carolina. But those last two games, she was not going to be denied. If she keeps that kind of approach, she’ll be hoisting not only a championship trophy but an MVP trophy. I'm a Taurus, she's a Taurus. We don't like to lose."

During a news conference, after she had joined the Chicago Sky, Cardoso was full of praise for the Gamecocks coach's guidance.

"She [Staley] always taught me to just trust the process, just believe in myself. She’s been an amazing coach…I’m really thankful to have someone like her in my life. I always say she’s like my second mother, she took care of me while I didn’t have my family,” Cardoso said.

Dawn Staley and Kamilla Cardoso have maintained their unique bond as the South Carolina coach attended several of her former player's WNBA games.