South Carolina advanced to its second final in two years. Te-hina Paopao says it was the belief that got them over the line.
Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks defeated fellow number one seed Texas 74-57 in the Final Four on Friday at Amalie Arena to advance to the NCAA Tournament national championship game. The victory was from a solid all-around performance from senior guard Te-hina Paopao.
Paopao scored 14 points in the victory, but her defense earned her the most praise.
“Her defense has come a long way,” Dawn Staley said after the game. “She chose to come to South Carolina for these moments, but also, she knew that there was a hole in her defensive game, and she knew we were going to force her to play defense.”
Paopao instilled belief in her teammates.
The South Carolina Gamecocks are a win away from becoming the first team to secure consecutive titles since UConn won four straight from 2013-16. They face UConn in this year’s final. Although South Carolina has been dominant, some players have been uptight and not confident, according to Paopao.
Paopao said she encouraged her teammates to believe in the program before the game.
“Believe that we’re going to win. Believe that our shots are going in. Believe in each other. Believe in the program.”
Te-Hina Paopao encouraged her teammates to play free and remind people who they are. She led SC with 14pts, her first leading performance since November pic.twitter.com/OkY08HxED1
— Julia Westerman (@JuliaWesterman) April 5, 2025
“Believe that we’re going to win. Believe that our shots are going in. Believe in each other. Believe in the program.” Paopao said.
Te-hina Paopao’s College Career.
Paopao was a five-star recruit from high school. She committed to playing college basketball for Oregon over offers from California, UCLA, and Oregon State. Paopao earned All-Pac-12 honors in her freshman year and was named an All-Freshmen selection.
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She transferred to South Carolina for her senior season. At the end of the 24/25 regular season, Paopao was the nation’s top percentage 3-point shooter, shooting 48.6% from beyond the arc. She announced that she would return to South Carolina for her fifth year of eligibility instead of entering the draft.
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