Te-Hina Paopao’s journey from Oregon to South Carolina has transformed her into the makings of a future WNBA Draft pick

Family is important in Samoa culture. It values ​​the loved ones and those who share your life experience. Popular Samoa's proverb goesE Leai Se Mea E SILI ATU I LOU LOU AIGA,It is roughly translated in the sense that “there is nothing more important than your family.”

Taehina Paopao wanted to stay on the west coast to stay near his family, as he came out of the Lahoya district of San Diego, California. So the 5 -star high school recruitment has decided to go to Eugen, Oregon on a coast nearly 1,000 miles.

3 seasons in 3 seasons Oregon duckThe moment she stepped into the campus as a freshman, Paopao decided to find a new challenge and entered the transfer portal. Later, head coach Dawn Stayy, who won the National Championship, made a call.

Since South Carolina's game cock is on the radar, how did Paopao move south while his four brothers and his family still lived in California?

“It was either,” You are going to come with me, you are just at home and see from afar, “” said Paopao.

Her family was staying in California, but the first movement to Oregon was intentional, except for her brother Israel. It was a way to stay a little close to the family and the same coast.

The second movement was her hope for the future because Paopao and her moved to South Carolina. Unlike the movement as a new student who wants to bring as many lives as possible, Paopao had the opportunity to complete the university basketball. It has decided to make it easier to move.

“I really needed the bed and where to sleep, and the only place to play basketball,” said Paopao.

PAOPAO has found a program not only for basketball but also for advanced graduates to prosper. As a duck, Paopao was the focus of the team and was aggressively prospering for the Oregon side, who struggled to catch up with a more active team in the transfer portal.

In the first year of PAOPAO at SEC, GAMECOCKS won everything to win a university basketball. The title of the conference regular season, the tournament championship, and eventually overcome the national championship, Guard Kate Lin Clark, Iowa Work Eyes Unbeatening season -Led by Paopao, point guard.

During the great debut season in Colombia, we won Paopao in the second team in the United States, but that was not enough.

As a GAMECOCK, Paopao has become part of the machine on the coat of STALEY. The team was expected to bring strength every time he stepped into the coat. Instead of being one of Oregon's two or three top recruitments, Paopao joined the team that features 10 McDonald's nationwide, each played on the same amount, and several came out of the bench. I did it.

That level competition proposes Staley's team very well -known strength. The important part of South Carolina's success is to play a powerful defense, a Paopao struggle of PAC-12. The guards entered her new family, and despite the historic season, Paopao had lacked her defensive play in the first year.

“I don't say I was a weak link, but at the same time I feel that I am a weak link,” said Paopao.

Statistics tells another story. Paopao defended her career in her first year, under a new coach, a new system, and a new enemy. Paopao's defensive rating is the lowest in her career in 85.1, average when Paopao, which is almost 9 points less than the last junior season in Oregon, was on the coat. It was 85.1 points.

“She is comfortable and comfortable. She knows the shot she is preparing for, she met us on the way to protect, I I was really impressed by the defense and became the ability to adjust her abilities. ” Paopao was on the candidate list.

Still, it was not enough for security guards. I want to improve any athlete, but Paopao has not been resting to her dream of acquiring the basketball player nationwide title. Paopao has another engine and another level, which is difficult to find.

She started studying tapes with more intentions than before, reconnected the enemy using the extra time with the coach, and filled the gaps to watch in their games.

“She is a professional. Prohabits puts her in a position so that she can play and adjust the style of her style as needed,” says Staley. Basically, since I stepped on South Carolina, I say loudly what fans have seen to security guards. Paopao is a professional basketball player at a university rank.

Jeff BLAKE-IMAGN image

The labor ethics means that Paopao has reached a new level in the 24-25 seasons. Her defense? Last year's career was high, and Paopao's defense evaluation fell by two points to 83.9.

The paopao game is also changing aggressively. The guards have become more comfortable by taking deep shots in Oregon for three seasons. Paopao was the border of the border transported to South Carolina.

Paopao, who played under the guidance of Stayley, one of the best point guards in the history of basketball in the United States, was challenged to change the game.

“Last year, my job was to make three pointer, but I knew, we were happy to have a very dominant big, so we've shown over the arc. Paopao talked about Camilla Cardoso, who is now playing in the sky of Chicago. WNBA。 “And this year, I think I had another role, you know, you know, I know more, so I grew my game, I was known as a three -point settling game, but I knew I could be a 3 -level score, and I felt it. Open more games for your teammates.

This season, PAOPAO's three points have decreased, and following the injured freshmen and second -year campaign, it has reached the second lowest game in her career. Paopao shot more shots in the arc, shooting 59.3 % of the floor with the highest efficiency of her career.

Also, while seeing the language used by Paopao, it usually returns to the team while mentioning her improvement. Regarding her defense, she felt like a “weak link” or a larger chain. When she improves her aggressive games, it returns to open more games than “for my teammates”.

GAMECOCKS is a Paopao family. They celebrate success together and suffer from defeat as a group. Currently, in the Paopao era in South Carolina, the latter was not so large, but on November 24, UCLA Blue Ins repeated GAMECOCKS's 43 consecutive games. As a team leader, Paopao has a unique perspective on loss.

“There were a lot of external noise, but as a team, we know that people can listen to the outside noise and let people instruct them what kind of team they will be after such a loss. I think we are approaching. ” “But I think the loss has only increased on our shoulders.”

Since then, Paopao and GAMECOCKS have won 15 wins, including eight ranked opponents. On Monday night, South Carolina finished an unprecedented run for five consecutive victory against the top 20 opponents. Like the 41 -point victory margin to No. 13 at that time, it not only wins some of the top teams in the country, but also completely dominates. Okurahomasurer And defeat 5 at that time Texas Long Horns Up to 17 points.

South Carolina's next goal is repeatedly claiming as a top team in Japan, with the outward noise blocked appropriately and proving it. GAMECOCKS is proceeding smoothly and leads the meeting with a perfect 8-0 record in SEC play.

However, at the end of the season, Paopao's next goal focuses completely. WNBA spot.

Paopao will participate in the WNBA draft with other top talent in Japan. A potential name like uconnWith Page Viewer of ' NotesOlivian Miles. Throughout the season, scouts want to see these top teams nationwide and find a player who can help them to achieve their unique goals, the WNBA title, conform to their lists.

When you look at the list of available players, the name of Paopao must jump off the page. As a player that focuses not only on the history of her own victory but also on unresolved families.

“I'm a competitor. I'm the winner and I just want to compete and win,” said Paopao. “And I am trying to be happy in all aspects, and I really hope that they can see it and I am ready. But I'm going to be really confident.

The graduate senior is going to take her family for boarding. After moving to South Carolina Two of the Paopao brothers have supported and moved nationwide。 At the 2024 Final For held in Cleveland, Ohio, Paopao's basketball Collected extended families Despite the thousands of miles down by moving from the coast to the coast, it has been in the years.

Therefore, when talking about what Paopao does what he needs to succeed, it is not a lip service or athlete. For the past five years, it has been proven inside and outside the coat by the willingness to support himself and his family. On the way, it is not only a list of basketball abilities, but also to strengthen her tight family bonds.

“Knowing that I have such a powerful support system, it came to want to play more intensely for them, watching them after the game, it really full of my heart. “”