Why South Carolina women’s basketball’s Te-Hina Paopao didn’t accept WNBA draft invitation

South Carolina women’s basketball’s fifth year guard Te-Hina Paopao was one of 16 athletes invited to the 2025 WNBA draft but despite the honor, she will not attend.

Paopao, a 5-foot-9 guard who started the past two seasons, will wait and hope to hear her name called on April 14 (7:30 p.m., ESPN) but instead of watching from audience at The Shed at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, New York, she will watch from Oceanside, California, with her family.

“I’ll be having the draft party at home just because I want my family to be there,” Paopao said in open locker room on Sunday after the 82-59 loss to UConn in the national championship on April 6. “I want to start with the people that have been there for the journey, for the ride. I’m just really excited for my next journey and just super proud.”

Paopao is one of three athletes for coach Dawn Staley who are hoping to be drafted. Starting forward Sania Feagin was also invited and will be in attendance. Starting shooting guard Bree Hall did not receive an official invite to attend the draft.

Paopao transferred to South Carolina before the 2023-24 season after beginning her career at Oregon. She averaged 9.4 points and 2.8 assists this season, improving her steals per game from 0.8 to 1.1. Her assists led the team and her points per game ranked fourth on the team.

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She scored a season-high 23 points against NC State on Nov. 10 and then shortly after, dropped 18 points in the loss to UCLA on Nov. 24.

In the Final Four win against Texas on April 4, she led the team with 14 points and in the title game loss to UConn on April 6, she finished with three.

Some draft projections during the week between the college season ending and the WNBA draft have shown Paopao going in the first round. If Paopao or Feagin go in the first round, it will be the third consecutive year Staley’s produced a first-round draft pick.

Pros and cons of Atlanta Dream taking South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao in 2025 WNBA Draft

South Carolina women’s basketball guard Te-Hina Paopao was selected by the Atlanta Dream in the second round (No. 18 overall) of the 2025 WNBA Draft on April 14.

The draft is live from The Shed at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, New York, but Paopao chose to watch it at home with her family in Oceanside, California.

She is the first South Carolina player picked in this year’s draft, as both Sania Feagin and Bree Hall are also hoping to be drafted. Coach Dawn Staley was in New York with Feagin.

Paopao, a 5-foot-9 shooting guard, started the past two seasons for South Carolina. She transferred before the 2023-24 season after beginning her career at Oregon. She averaged 9.4 points and 2.8 assists this season, improving her steals per game average from 0.8 to 1.1. Her assists led the team and her points per game average was fourth on the team.

The positives: South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao

Paopao is a talented spot-up shooter who moves well without the ball. Her first year at South Carolina, she shot 46.8% from behind the 3-point line and was Staley’s go-to shooter from outside.

This season, her goal was to develop her game inside the arc, and she emphasized driving the ball and creating shots for herself. She took her offense to another level by running the floor for easy transition layups, but also cutting to the basket, looking for short jumpers. In general, she looked more confident and comfortable near the paint.

Staley complimented how much Paopao’s defense improved within her system, and in the NCAA Tournament, Paopao’s defensive game was strong. She transformed from potentially being a liability against quicker guards to someone who can lock down on defense and jump through passing lanes for steals.

Throughout March Madness, she collected eight steals across six games.

Paopao is an intelligent passer and a natural leader, which can be an advantage as a rookie at the next level, especially knowing coaches can trust her to make the right plays and see simple passes. Her turnovers per game average dropped from 2.0 to 1.2.

The concerns: South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao

In nearly every category, Paopao’s numbers decreased this season. She went from nearly 50% from the 3-point line to 37%, and her shooting percentage from the field dropped from 46.1% to 44.4%. Her scoring average decreased from 11.0 to 9.4. Her assists average went from 3.7 to 2.8.

A lot of this was a result of being more passive with the basketball, and sometimes Paopao needs to be more assertive on offense. She went hot and cold this season, whereas last year, her points per game were more consistent.

Her role in the WNBA likely will be different than at South Carolina, and the hope is her numbers will mirror more closely to her 2023-24 performance.

Final thoughts

A lot of teams need players like Paopao — someone who can come off the bench and make a positive impact, whether that’s working with a taller center or preparing for kick-out 3-point shots.

She has developed her defense and is a hard worker who sees the game and floor well, which could translate to a long career at the pro level.