Star center Kamilla Cardoso carried the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half of their Final Four matchup against the NC State Wolfpack.
Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, Cardoso came down hard after a shot attempt and was hobbling on the court until she forced a foul to stop the game.
Cardoso limped to the locker room with 1:39 remaining in the second quarter.
It was unclear if Cardoso's ankle or knee was the source of pain as she walked off the court early.
Kamilla Cardoso headed back to the locker room after a hard fall in the second quarter. pic.twitter.com/MAlRb1BLP7
— ESPN (@espn) April 5, 2024
Before getting hurt, Cardoso had 16 points and 7 rebounds, leading South Carolina in both categories.
At halftime, the Gamecocks had a 1-point advantage and led the Wolfpack 32-31.
Sania Feagin was the second-highest scoring Gamecock in the first half with just 4 points.
NC State's scoring was led by Aziaha James who scored 10 points in the first 20 mintues, followed closely by River Baldwin who produced 6 points for the Wolfpack.
As the halftime clock expired, Cardoso was seen warming up with the addition of a block sleeve on her right leg.
Cardoso took the court as the second half started.
With less than 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Cardoso subbed out and was seen on the stationary bike to catch a breather but remain loose. Her leg sleeve was still on.
"She's a top pick in the WNBA Draft," head coach Dawn Staley said of Cardoso.
Staley rested Cardoso for the entire fourth quarter as the Gamecocks ran away with the game.
Cardoso finished the Final Four game with 22 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.