Te-Hina Paopao is choosing family over the spotlight. The South Carolina Gamecocks guard has decided to skip the in-person 2025 WNBA Draft ceremony in New York City, instead opting to celebrate the milestone with her family in Oceanside, California.
The fifth-year senior was among 16 players invited to attend the draft but explained her heartfelt decision to stay home:
“I’ll be having the draft party at home just because I want my family to be there,” Paopao said on April 6, following South Carolina’s 82-59 loss to UConn in the national championship game, per Lulu Kesin of the Greenville News.
“I want to start with the people that have been there for the journey, for the ride. I’m just really excited for my next journey and just super proud.”
Paopao transferred to South Carolina from Oregon ahead of the 2023-24 season and made an immediate impact. In her final collegiate year, she averaged 9.4 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. She led the Gamecocks in assists and finished fourth in scoring. Some of her standout performances included a season-high 23 points against NC State and 14 points in the national semifinal win over Texas.
Despite not attending in person, Te-Hina Paopao is projected to be a potential first-round pick in Monday’s WNBA Draft. If selected in the first round, she would mark South Carolina’s third straight first-rounder under legendary head coach Dawn Staley.
While Paopao celebrates from home, teammate Sania Feagin will represent the Gamecocks at the draft in New York, while Bree Hall did not receive an official invitation.
This year’s draft is headlined by UConn star Paige Bueckers, the favorite to be selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings. Other top prospects set to attend include Hailey Van Lith (TCU), Aneesah Morrow (LSU), Kiki Iriafen (USC), and Georgia Amoore (Kentucky). The event will be held at The Shed at Hudson Yards and broadcast live at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
