A five-star recruit and the No. 11-ranked prospect in the 2020 class, Te-Hina Paopao is a basketball player and NCAA Champion of 2024.
Let’s examine Te-Hina Paopao family and career backgrounds. So, stay with us until the end.
A Quick Look At Te-Hina Paopao Early Life
- Te-Hina Paopao is an American basketball player who plays for the South Carolina Gamecocks as a guard. She is also a former player for the Oregon Ducks.
- Paopao was born on August 21, 2002. She studied at La Jolla Country Day School in La Jolla, California. Later, she attended the University of Oregon from 2020 to 2023.
- The player has been attending the University of South Carolina since 2023. She played basketball during her school days at La Jolla Country Day.
- Just at age 10, she started for the U16 team as a starting point guard, and that’s how her journey started.
Career Journey Of The Basketball Player Till Now
ESPN rated Paopao a five-star recruit. She committed to playing college basketball for Oregon over other programs. She started her freshman season as Oregon’s starting point guard, replacing Sabrina Ionescu.
The player earned All-Pac-12 honors and All-Freshmen selection and led all NCAA first-year students with a 2.40 assist-to-turnover ratio. In her junior season, she averaged 13.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, earning All-Pac-12 honorable mention.
Te-Hina Paopao, a Samoan and Tokelauan-born freshman basketball player, was recruited by Dawn Staley to South Carolina for her experience, 3-point shooting skills, and leadership.
Te-Hina Paopao family must have been supportive throughout her journey. So, stay with us till the end as well, and we will also find out information about them.
Paopao was the nation’s top percentage 3-point shooter at the end of the regular season, hitting a career-high 48.6% from beyond the arc. She is among the SEC’s top 10 with 3.8 assists per game and leads the SEC in player offensive rating.
Paopao has had her hand on 23.2% of the Gamecocks’ total offense and 29.8% against ranked opponents. She was named as a “Finalist” for the Nancy Lieberman Award. Paopao will be returning for her fifth year of eligibility after Senior Day.
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A Look At Te-Hina Paopao Family Background
Te-Hina is of Samoan and Tokelauan descent. She was born to her father, Paul Paopao, and has a sport-oriented household, sharing four siblings.
The Te-Hina Paopao family has two older brothers, Israel Paopao and Isaia Paopao, and one older sister, Tiare Paopao. She also shares a younger brother named Iosefa Paopao Meinke-Aviu.
Tiare played softball while her other siblings played football. Te-Hina’s uncle, Joe Salave’a, is an American football coach at the University of Miami and used to play as a defensive tackle.
The basketball player also has a cousin, Megan Ki’llani Faraimo, an American softball pitcher. She also played softball at the Univerity of California, Los Angeles, from 2019 to 2023.
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Transfer From Oregon To South Carolina
Te-Hina played three seasons for Oregon before playing for South Carolina and was also the All-Pac 12 first-team selection.
Paopao was one of the nation’s top 3-point shooters and helped the Ducks reach the WNIT quarterfinals. The player said she was surprised South Carolina and Staley were interested in her.
The player’s coach, Terri Bamford, also told her that Gamerock was calling to bring her to Columbia. When she committed to Gamerocks last May, she expressed her excitement on social media.
The player still has a long way to go, and we would love to hear more from the player.
FAQs
Q. What ethnicity is Paopao?
A. Te-Hina Paopao is of Samoan and Tokelauan descent.
Q. How old is Te-Hina Paopao?
A. She is 21 years old.
