South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao is poetry in motion

“It’s been a big emphasis towards the postseason,” Paopao told The Next. “During conference play, I feel like I didn’t play with the pace and rhythm that I needed to. It shows on the court how much pace and rhythm I need to play with to be successful. It makes me better and gives our team more options when I play with pace.”

Paopao’s pacing has allowed her to be a dynamic pull-up scorer and pick-and-roll playmaker throughout her college career. Now, as a fifth-year senior, she’s translated that pacing to a more aggressive driving approach, letting her fully actualize her passing and scoring.

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This season, 37.4% of Paopao’s field-goal attempts have come in the paint — up from 28.4% in 2023-24, according to CBB Analytics.

“Last year, my job was just to make 3-pointers … because we had such a dominant big [Kamilla Cardoso] who was a willing passer,” Paopao told SB Nation’s Thomas Costello in January. “This year, I have a different role, where I attack the paint, attack closeouts, and just grow my game … It just opens up the game more for my teammates as well.” 

Paopao navigates ball screens differently than sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley and red-shirt junior guard Raven Johnson, requiring her bigs to adjust how they set screens.

Fulwiley’s elite speed allows her to reject screens with ease and explode to the rim. On the other hand, Johnson is a well-below-average pull-up shooter, making her ball screens more about finding the roller or open shooter than creating her own shot.

Paopao falls between the two — less athletic than Fulwiley, but a more dynamic scorer than Johnson. Starting center Sania Feagin told The Next that Paopao prefers her to set screens early, hold them rather than slip, and roll quickly.

If defenders go under the screen, Paopao can capitalize on the space with her pull-up jumper. But if defenders fight over the screen, her abilities as a driver give her a chance to create advantages and maximize her live-dribble passing.

“I’m a pass-first type of guard,” Paopao said. “I can find the best shot because I can read if the post defender is going to come up, and if they don’t come up, I can drive and drop it off or pull up for a jumper.”

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On Nov. 1, 2024, in the days leading up to South Carolina’s season opener, head coach Dawn Staley set a goal for Paopao to maintain her defensive growth from 2023-24.

Through 31 games, she has met that objective. South Carolina has posted an impressive 84.9 defensive rating against quad-1 opponents in 203 minutes, with defensive stalwart Johnson off the court and Paopao on the court, according to CBB Analytics.

“She’s come a long, long way on defense,” Johnson told The Next. “She’s improved at everything, especially her footwork.”

At 5’9 with a 5’9 wingspan, Paopao doesn’t have the physical tools to recover and make up for defensive lapses. She has to pay attention to detail at the point of attack, chase shooters, or defend one pass away in help.

“I feel like I’m not a liability anymore, where my teammates have to cover for me,” Paopao said. “I can now really guard on an island when I need to.”

As South Carolina enters its first NCAA tournament without an All-American big on its roster since 2018-19, Paopao’s shooting, secondary playmaking and defensive improvement will be crucial in the Gamecocks’ quest to repeat as champions.