South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley's eye for talent can never be doubted. Since taking up the job, the former WNBA superstar has scouted and developed some of the top talents around the league, including the likes of A'ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, and Tyasha Harris. The latest to join the list is seemingly Te-Hina PaoPao, and her former coach is still there to support her.

PaoPao produced her second straight 16-point performance off the bench in a narrow 81-86 loss against the New York Liberty. She converted 4 of her 5 3-point attempts, all of which came in the first half. Staley, who initially recruited the former Oregon star for South Carolina for her senior year, took to X to post a hilarious reference.

“Can you smell what the PAO is cooking!!!! THREES!!!! 🤣🤣🤣,” Staley wrote. The post referenced the iconic catchphrase of WWE superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. (Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?)

It came in the midst of PaoPao's stellar display during the first half, which saw her team lead by 17 points at one point. PaoPao converted 6 of her 8 shots on the night, finishing with 16 points for the second straight game, her joint-highest points total in the WNBA thus far.

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The 22-year-old was a second-round pick for the Atlanta Dream, who chose her with their 18th pick at the 2025 WNBA Draft. So far, she has exceeded expectations. PaoPao has started 4 games for the Dream, averaging 6.1 points, 1.8 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game. Over her 11 appearances, she has played an average of 13.2 minutes per game, a number which is bound to increase in the coming time.

The former Oregon star had initially made an impact for South Carolina in the 2024-25 season. She led the SEC in 3-point shooting while ranking among the top 10 in assists. PaoPao was responsible for 23.2% of the Gamecocks' total points in the season, averaging 11.5 points and 3.8 assists per game.

A finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, PaoPao has made a quick impact in the WNBA. And it seems like her former coach is still keeping tabs, rooting for her from behind the keyboard, rather than from the sidelines.