How Te-Hina Paopao, SEC rookie, flexed her veteran skills in conference debut
Te-Hina Paopao started three years in the Pac-12 with the Oregon Ducks. But Thursday night marked her SEC rookie debut.
Back in October, she said the biggest adjustment she’d face going from the Pac-12 to the SEC was the level of physicality. Through a signature smile and giggle, she joked that “I’m not even gonna bring up the officials. I won’t even talk about them. I might get fined.”
Those same feelings came rushing back Thursday night in an 89-66 victory over the Florida Gators. She was surprised by what she felt were a few missed foul calls, and the speed of the game was different than she was used to. But that’s when she called on veteran experience that helped her maintain her composure, find the fun and score a team-high 17 points in a solid team win.
“My teammates and coaches call me that calm and confident type of player that I am, so I relied on that and trusted my teammates that they’ll give me the ball when I need it,” Paopao told The State after the game. “And they did.”
Paopao has been labeled by her fellow Gamecocks and coach Dawn Staley as the complementary grounding presence in the backcourt to point guard Raven Johnson, who’s known for her speed and explosiveness. But Paopao has a fieriness to her as well. She laid the ball in for two points and a foul in the third quarter, celebrating by flexing her arms by her sides, stomping along the baseline and sporting a stank face. That look quickly melted into a grin.
It’s easy for her to balance her roles as team leader and basketball fanatic.
“It’s just really fun to play with everyone on the team,” she said. “There’s a flow, a pace — everything is just so fun. And everyone’s having a great time, and everyone loves to play with each other.”
Paopao exploded in the first quarter against Florida for four 3-pointers, which tied her season high (previously achieved at Bowling Green on Dec. 19). She had been struggling in practice during the week leading up to the game, Staley said. But then Paopao made her first 10 shots at shootaround.
“Oh, it’s gonna be a good night tonight,” Paopao thought.
Sure enough, she made her first four, validating her pregame confidence and setting the tone for the rest of the game. South Carolina’s guards built off her momentum, combining for 66 of USC’s 89 points.
“I thought she was real aggressive in taking shots,” Staley said. “We love for her to do that, and we needed them in a big way. She’s a big shot maker.”
Paopao also had four assists, three defensive rebounds and a steal. She credits Staley with helping her become a better player on both ends of the court. Their relationship has evolved with her quality of play.
“It’s really fun to talk to her,” Paopao said. “... It’s another leader on the court in my ear. She’s a great presence to have and I’m really blessed to have.”
