South Carolina women’s basketball guard Te-Hina Paopao, now in her fifth year, was among 16 athletes invited to attend the 2025 WNBA Draft. However, despite the prestigious recognition, she has chosen not to be present at the event.
Instead of joining the crowd at The Shed at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, New York, Paopao will tune in from her hometown of Oceanside, California, surrounded by family. “I’ll be having the draft party at home just because I want my family to be there,” Paopao said in the locker room on Sunday following South Carolina’s 82-59 loss to UConn in the national championship. “I want to start with the people that have been there for the journey. I’m really excited for what’s ahead and super proud.”
Paopao is one of three Gamecocks hoping to hear their names called in the draft. Starting forward Sania Feagin also received an invite and plans to attend, while starting shooting guard Bree Hall did not receive an official invitation.
After transferring from Oregon before the 2023-24 season, Paopao quickly became a key contributor for South Carolina. She averaged 9.4 points and 2.8 assists per game, leading the team in assists and ranking fourth in scoring. She boosted her defensive presence, increasing her steals from 0.8 to 1.1 per game. Notable performances include a season-high 23 points against NC State on Nov. 10 and 18 points in a loss to UCLA on Nov. 24. In the Final Four victory over Texas on April 4, she led the team with 14 points but managed only three in the championship loss to UConn.
Some mock drafts in the lead-up to the WNBA Draft have projected Paopao as a potential first-round pick. If either Paopao or Feagin are selected in the first round, it would mark the third straight year that coach Dawn Staley has produced a first-round WNBA selection.
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