Dawn Staley reveals discussions, plan around losing Kamilla Cardoso for first-round NCAA Tournament matchup

South Carolina will be without center Kamilla Cardoso for its NCAA Tournament opener against either Sacred Heart or Presbyterian, but coach Dawn Staley is confident her team will adjust accordingly.

The Gamecocks head coach joined ESPN following the women’s NCAA Tournament bracket reveal on Sunday night to discuss the issue.

“I mean we talked about it. We debriefed,” Staley said. “We don’t want that to happen ever again. We see the impact that it will have. Fortunately for us it’s someone that we played without for four games this particular season.”

Cardoso missed four games earlier this season due to injury, and the Gamecocks managed just fine without her in that span. They won the four games by an averaged of 33 points, including securing a win over a really talented UConn squad.

At 32-0 on the season and as the No. 1 overall seed, you’d certainly expect that South Carolina will be just fine playing against a No. 16 seed without Cardoso.

Getting her back, though, will be key for an extended tournament run.

“We all know we’re a better basketball team when Kamilla Cardoso is in the lineup,” Staley said. “We’ll make do, hopefully, until she’s able to come back and hopefully hold serve and win our first round to see what that tough second-round matchup will look like in North Carolina and Michigan State.”

Cardoso was suspended for the NCAA Tournament opener due to rules over fighting ejections. She was tossed from the SEC Championship Game against LSU after knocking over LSU guard Fla’jae Johnson during a dead-ball scenario.

The incident made headlines everywhere, causing a bit of a black eye for the sport.

The talented center is a huge part of the South Carolina lineup, averaging 14.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks while shooting 58.4% from the field.

South Carolina’s first-round game against either Sacred Heart or Presbyterian will be played in Columbia, SC, a home game for the Gamecocks.