Dawn Staley sends clear message to former South Carolina star ahead of WNBA season: "You look like you belong"

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley congratulated former Gamecocks star Te-Hina Paopao on making the Atlanta Dream's opening-day roster for the 2025 WNBA season.

The three-time national champion coach and Olympic gold medalist sent a message on X to her former starting guard, expressing her excitement to see her play in the pro league.

"Congrats Pao! You look comfortable! You look like you belong! You look like a dream come true! Way to make us all proud….your family and it’s a lot of them and of course @GamecockWBB and FAMs!! We can’t wait to see you play! GOD on 3!," Staley wrote on X.

The 5-foot-9 guard played two seasons for South Carolina after suiting up for Oregon in 2020-23. She started in all 76 games for the Gamecocks and helped the team win the national title in 2024 and finish second to UConn this past season.

The Oceanside, California, native was picked in the second round (18th overall) by Atlanta in the 2025 WNBA draft. She was one of the two South Carolina rookies who made the opening day roster, along with LA Sparks forward Sania Feagin.

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Te-Hina Paopao shows off shooting prowess in Atlanta Dream's preseason game against Indiana Fever

Former South Carolina guard Te-Hina Paopao showed off her long-range shooting accuracy in the Atlanta Dream's preseason game against the Indiana Fever on May 10.

The 5-foot-9 guard came off the bench to score a team-high 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including 3-for-4 from the 3-point line. She also had two assists and one steal for the Dream, who lost 81-76 to the Caitlin Clark-led Fever.

Paopao stood her ground in the preseason game and had a sequence where she exchanged 3-pointers with Clark, who finished with 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists for Indiana.

"I was kind of mad that she scored that three on me," the guard said. "So I knew I had to get that lick back and that's what I did."

Te-Hina Paopao joined veteran guard Allisha Gray, who played for Staley during the 2016-17 season, in making the Dream's opening-day roster.

Gray, who is on her second season with Atlanta after playing for six years with the Dallas Wings, averaged 15.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.7 apg and 1.1 spg for the Dream last season.

Atlanta opens the new WNBA season against the Washington Mystics on Friday at the CareFirst Arena in Washington D.C. Tip-off is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. ET.