Paopao Named WBCA All-America Finalist

COLUMBIA, S.C. –South Carolina women’s basketball senior Te-Hina Paopao was named a finalist for the WBCA Coaches’ All-America team, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today. It marks the second time in as many seasons that she has been on the list.

 

Paopao has been the steadying force for the Gamecocks, especially early in the season when her leadership and court vision helped the team find its identity and re-emerge as a frontrunner for SEC and NCAA titles. Her 9.7 points per game include 10.5 per outing against ranked opponents, against which she has shot 46.6 percent from the field. Paopao is the team’s top distributor with 2.9 assists per game, which rose to 3.44 per SEC contest to rank her 12th in the conference. In addition to ramping up her defensive skills, Paopao has also diversified her offense from being primarily a 3-point shooter last season. This season 49.4 percent of her points have come from the 3-point line, 33.5 percent from the paint and 9.5 percent from midrange compared to 64.1 percent, 21.6 percent and 7.4 percent last season.

 

No. 2/2 South Carolina earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Birmingham 2 Regional and advanced to its 11th-straight NCAA Sweet 16 with a pair of wins last weekend at Colonial Life Arena. The Gamecocks are back in action on Fri., Mar. 28, against No. 18/17 Maryland with tipoff set for 5 p.m. ET.

 

Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on South Carolina women’s basketball.

 

WBCA All-America Finalists

Georgia Amoore, Kentucky

Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama

Raegan Beers, Oklahoma

Lauren Betts, UCLA

Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt

Madison Booker, Texas

Zoe Brooks, NC State

Paige Bueckers, UConn

Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State

Sonia Citron, Notre Dame

Audi Crooks, Iowa State

Katie Dinnebier, Drake

Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga

Rori Harmon, Texas

Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State

Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame

Maud Huijbens, Gonzaga

Kiki Iriafen, Southern Cal

Aziaha James, NC State

Lauren Jensen, Creighton

Flau’Jae Johnson, LSU

Kymora Johnson, Virginia

Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State

Ayoka Lee, Kansas State

Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor

Cotie McMahon, Ohio State

Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State

Olivia Miles, Notre Dame

Emeralda Morales, Montana State

Aneesah Morrow, LSU

S’Mya Nichols, Kansas

Aaliha Nye, Alabama

Lucy Olsen, Iowa

Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina

Khamil Pierre, Vanderbilt

Sedona prince, TCU

JJ Quinerly, West Virginia

Kiki Rice, UCLA

Saniya Rivers, NC State

Emma Ronsiek, Colorado State

Madison Scott, Ole Miss

Shyanne Sellers, Maryland

Sarah Strong, UConn

Serena Sundell, Kansas State

Makayla Timpson, Florida State

Allie Turner, Gonzaga

Harmoni Turner, Harvard

Hailey Van Lith, TCU

JuJu Watkins, Southern Cal

Mikaylah Williams, LSU