South Carolina’s Khadijah Sessions fired up over former Gamecock Te-Hina Paopao’s sharpshooting WNBA outing

South Carolina coach Khadijah Sessions praised Gamecocks alum Te-Hina Paopao on social media on Saturday after the latter put on a shooting clinic in Atlanta's preseason game against Indiana. Paopao showed she is more than ready for her WNBA regular-season debut, leading the Dream in scoring in the game against the Fever.

Paopao punished Indiana's defense, dropping 14 points off the bench. She shot 5-for-6 from the field and 1-for-2 from the free-throw line. The majority of Paopao's points came from beyond the arc, with the rookie guard going 3-of-4 from the 3-point area.

Sessions, who played four seasons with South Carolina from 2012 to 2016 before joining Dawn Staley's staff in 2023, was impressed with Paopao's performance. She posted a message on X/Twitter to laud Paopao's play against Indiana.

"AYOOOOOO PAO STOP PLAYING," Sessions wrote.

Te-Hina Paopao's efforts went for naught, though, as Atlanta lost 81-76 to Indiana. Three players scored in double figures for the Fever, including Caitlin Clark, who dropped 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting. The WNBA superstar also had seven assists and six rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Lexie Hull and Kelsey Mitchell also contributed for Indiana, scoring 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Paopao got some offensive help from Atlanta starters Brionna Jones and Rhyne Howard. Jones scored 11 points and grabbed four boards while Howard amassed 10 points and three dimes.

How Te-Hina Paopao fared for South Carolina in the 2025 NCAA Tournament

The South Carolina Gamecocks advanced to this year's March Madness after finishing the regular season and the SEC Tournament with a 30-3 overall record. They entered the Big Dance with momentum on their side after winning the SEC Tournament for the ninth time in 11 years.

South Carolina Gamecocks guard Te-Hina Paopao (0) reacts during the first half of their 2025 NCAA tournament game against the Texas Longhorns at Amalie Arena. Photo: Imagn

The Gamecocks were given the No. 1 seed in the Regional 2 bracket and faced No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech in the first round. Te-Hina Paopao played 18 minutes in South Carolina's 108-48 victory, dropping nine points on 3-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc.

Paopao replicated that scoring performance in the second round against Indiana, racking up nine points in South Carolina's 64-53 win. She struggled in the Sweet 16 against Maryland, scoring just two points in the Gamecocks' 71-67 victory.

Paopao helped South Carolina book another Final Four appearance, scoring nine points in the Gamecocks' 54-50 win over the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight. She then wreaked havoc against Texas in the national semifinals, scoring a team-high 14 points in South Carolina's 74-57 win in the Final Four.

Paopao and the Gamecocks fell short in their bid to win back-to-back NCAA titles, however, losing 82-59 to Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies. Paopao struggled in that contest, scoring just three points in her final college basketball game.