After being the runner-up on Cycle 3 of ''
America's Next Top Model, DaCosta went on to have a successful career. DaCosta appeared once in the bottom two during the competition. She appeared on the cover of Hype Hair. In 2014, she landed a spot in Tom Ford’s Fall/Winter advertising campaign. DaCosta began acting in 2005 after guest-starring in an episode of the UPN sitcom Eve. She appeared in the 2006 dance film Take the Lead. DaCosta had supporting roles in the independent films Honeydripper (2007) and The Messenger'' (2009). She appeared in the
ABC soap opera
All My Children in 2008 as Cassandra Foster. According to an interview with
All My Children's new head writer,
Charles Pratt, Jr., DaCosta left the role some time in August 2008, less than four months after joining the show, to join the cast of
The First Breeze of Summer on
Broadway.
The First Breeze of Summer was presented from 2008 to 2009 by the
Negro Ensemble Company. In 2009, she had a recurring role as Nico Slater in the fourth and final season of the ABC comedy-drama series
Ugly Betty. In 2010, DaCosta had supporting roles in the comedy-drama film
The Kids Are All Right and the science fiction action-adventure film
Tron: Legacy. Later, she appeared in magazines, including on the cover of
W (September 2010), in ''
L'Officiel (in November 2010), and in Vogue (in January 2011 by Patrick Demarchelier). In 2013, she appeared as Carol in the historical drama film The Butler''. '' In 2015 DaCosta starred as singer
Whitney Houston in a
Lifetime television film about her life. DaCosta received praise for her performance. From 2015 to 2021, DaCosta starred in the
NBC medical drama
Chicago Med as April Sexton, an ED nurse. On May 14, 2021, DaCosta announced that she was leaving
Chicago Med after six seasons, and before her exit she would be joining
Fox's drama series
Our Kind of People in the lead role; the new series was cancelled after 12 episodes. DaCosta was a recurring character on
The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 and then a main character in season 3. She departed the cast ahead of season 4, which began filming in February 2025. ==Personal life==