Senior Day in any college sport is an emotional moment, when athletes who have given themselves to a team and a university as a whole participate in one final game in front of their home crowd.

For Kamilla Cardoso, that occasion came with a little extra meaning.

As she was recognized before South Carolina women’s basketball’s game Sunday against Tennessee at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, the Gamecocks’ star center was joined by her mother and sister.

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A native Brazilian, Cardoso has lived away from her family for the past eight years. She moved to the United States when she was 15 years old to attend Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After a freshman season at Syracuse, Cardoso has played for South Carolina the past three seasons.

On Saturday, Cardoso was surprised at a Gamecocks practice by her family, who Staley brought out to reunite with their loved one. A visibly emotional Cardoso walked over to her mother and sister, with whom she shared a loving embrace.

“This is an incredible moment for all of us, for someone who has made incredible sacrifices for her family for the past eight years…the past eight years, just for this game, just for the game that she loves,” Staley said. “We got a chance to do something pretty special. Kamilla, let’s bring the people who also made that sacrifice for the past eight years. To be away from your family as long as you’ve been away from your family, we wanted to make this day special.”

In a post on social media, Staley thanked Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina for “leading the charge to make this happen.”

After taking over for Aliyah Boston as the Gamecocks’ starting center this season, Cardoso, the ACC freshman of the year in her lone season at Syracuse, entered Sunday’s matchup with the Lady Vols averaging a team-high 14 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game for the undefeated Gamecocks, who are the No. 1 team in both major national polls.

Her production has made her among the favorites for SEC player of the year honors.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Kamilla Cardoso has emotional family reunion ahead of South Carolina Senior Day