South Carolina Basketball: Two Gamecocks faced off in Americup championship

The FIBA Women’s Americup tournament was held over the past week in Leon, Mexico. Two South Carolina basketball players took part in the event. Raven Johnson suited up for Team USA, and Kamilla Cardoso played for her native Brazil. On Sunday, the Gamecock teammates saw themselves as adversaries in the Americup championship game.

Cardoso spent most of the tournament as one of the top players for Brazil, while Johnson was a rotational guard for Team USA. The SEC’s Sixth Woman of the Year for the 2022-2023 season started for Team Brazil (something she will probably do for the Gamecocks next season), and she even played 30 minutes of game action in the final contest of the tournament.

In the Amerciup championship game, Kamilla Cardoso was downright dominant, something that South Carolina basketball fans are accustomed to seeing. She logged a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double while owning the paint over well-known collegiate players like Angel Reese, Rickea Jackson, and Lauren Betts. She scored her 20 points on an efficient 10-17 shooting from the field.

Raven Johnson came off the bench for Team USA but ran the offense well while in the game. The rising sophomore for South Carolina basketball had a well-balanced stat line of 3 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds in 17 minutes on the court.

Johnson and her American teammates fell short against Cardoso and Brazil in a game that was close until Brazil pulled away at the end.

For the tournament, Cardoso averaged a near double-double with an efficient 10.9 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per contest (while also chipping in over a block per game). When her Brazil squad knocked off Team USA for the gold medal, she was also named the Americup MVP.

Johnson and Cardoso will help lead the Gamecocks as South Carolina basketball begins its season in Paris, France against Notre Dame on November 6th.