“We are riders here”: South Carolina’s Dawn Staley warns “haters” against Kamilla Cardoso after her showout against LA Sparks

Dawn Staley is a constant hype man for her players' careers despite them graduating from the South Carolina Gamecocks. From A'ja Wilson to Aliyah Boston and now, Kamilla Cardoso, the coach has always been vocal about her support for the players.

With the WNBA resuming after the month-long break for the Olympics, the Chicago Sky took on LA Sparks on Saturday. Kamilla Cardoso, who had been in a slump before the break struggling with an injury, tapped into her best self to help Chicago to a 90-86 win. She finished with 15 points, a career-high 14 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks.

Dawn Staley reacted to Cardoso's stats on X as she wrote:

"Play with Killa if you want! @Kamillascsilva keep proving these hater wrong! They’re so fair weather! We are riders over here!! @GamecockWBB"

Kamilla Cardoso played three years with Dawn Staley and won two NCAA Championships. She averaged 9.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.0 blocks. She was named the 2023-24 season's SEC Defensive Player of the Year and won the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player for the same season.

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Kamilla Cardoso explains her relationship with Dawn Staley

Kamilla Cardoso, a native of Montes Claros, Brazil, came to America as a 15-year-old. She played for the Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before committing to the Syracuse Orange for her freshman season. She then transferred to South Carolina, where she enjoyed a championship-winning career.

After the 2024 NCAA Tournament final, Cardoso delved into her close bond with Dawn Staley.

"She's like an inspiration for me and a lot of young girls out there and I'm just so thankful to have her as a coach," the center said. "She's the best in the business you already know and she's just like a family for me, a family (away) from my home and I'm just so thankful to have her as a coach.

She also spoke of coach Staley during an interview with NBC Sports Chicago in June.

“She [Staley] always taught me to just trust the process, just believe in myself," Cardoso said. "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,”

As Kamilla Cardoso continues in her professional journey in the WNBA, Dawn Staley is in Columbus, training her next title-winning roster.