South Carolina women's basketball senior guard Te-Hina Paopao has been named to the 2025 John R. Wooden Award Women's Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List, announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Tuesday night.
Paopao is averaging 10.3 points per game and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 37.0% from the 3-point line. Her play is boosted from an impressive stretch of non-conference games in which she averaged 11.4 points per game on 41.8% shooting from behind the arc in the first 13 games of the season.
Paopao has been an anchor for the No. 4 Gamecocks at the guard position, helping lead the team to a 22-2 overall record and a 10-1 record in Southeastern conference play. Paopao is third in scoring on a team that boasts nine players who record at least 18 minutes per game and seven players who tally at least 7 points per game.
Paopao was an 2024 All-American for South Carolina a season ago while leading the nation with a 46.8% 3-point percentage en route to a national championship. Paopao was named to the Second-team All-SEC at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.
Paopao is considered a strong candidate for the 2025 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year for being on the watch list. Paopao would joined Aliyah Boston and A'ja Wilson as the only Gamecocks to even win the award.
Paopao is one of seven players from the SEC to be named to the watch list, notably LSU junior forward Flau'Jae Johnson and Kentucky senior guard Georgia Amoore.
What's Next?
Watch Paopao and the No. 4 Gamecocks (22-2, 10-1 SEC) take on the Florida Gators (12-12, 3-7 SEC) at Colonial Life Arena on Thursday night at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on the SEC Network.