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WBB: South Carolina adds transfer portal guard

On3 imageby: Chris Wellbaum04/25/23ChrisWellbaum
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(Photo by Christopher Hook/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

South Carolina Women’s Basketball: News • Recruiting • Schedule • Roster • Stats • SEC • Polls • Scholarships

Oregon transfer guard Te-Hina Paopao has committed to South Carolina.

Paopao visited South Carolina last weekend. Dawn Staley teased the commitment with a “birdie tweet” Sunday afternoon. 

Paopao played three seasons at Oregon. She has two seasons of eligibility remaining, including a COVID year. She was the sixth-ranked available transfer according to The Athletic and seventh-ranked according to ESPN.

Last season, Paopao averaged 13.1 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, but the eye-popping numbers were her shooting percentages. Paopao shot 44% overall and 42.4% from three.

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MORE: What Te-Hina Paopao brings to Gamecocks

Paopao was the 11th-ranked player in the 2020 recruiting class. She dealt with injuries during her first two seasons but started every game last season and was named honorable mention All-Pac 12. She was first team All-Pac 12 as a freshman and sophomore.

Paopao joins a Gamecock backcourt that is big on potential but limited in experience. Bree Hall and Chloe Kitts can play guard, but project to play mostly on the wing. That leaves Raven Johnson as the only player with experience.

Talaysia Cooper is a former South Carolina state player of the year and scored 15 points against Texas A&M, but she only played in blowouts. Incoming freshmen Milaysia Fulwiley (South Carolina) and Tessa Johnson (Minnesota) were each named Gatorade state players of the year.

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Paopao provides an experienced lead guard to share ball-handling duties with Raven Johnson, as well as a bridge to help the other young players adapt. She also provides something the Gamecocks have sorely lacked: three-point shooting.

As a team last year, South Carolina made 163 threes (and departed Zia Cooke and Brea Beal were responsible for 101 of those). Individually, Paopao hit 81 threes. She immediately transforms how teams can defend South Carolina.

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