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Te-Hina Paopao has enjoyed a solid rookie season with the Atlanta Dream so far, and the more reps she gets, it's obvious she's improving every step of the way. There's always an area in the game where players can get better, and after the first half of the season, Paopao knows what it is for her.
“Defense. I mean, the offense is always going to be there, but defense, you've got to move them puppies, and it's a different world out there on the defensive end when you're on an island with the best players in the world,” Paopao said to the media. “And I'm still learning to get over ball screens, because they've run so many ball screens during the whole game.
“I'm tired of ball screens, but at the end of the day, I’ve got to get over ball screens and just do that for my teammates, because I know they're depending on me to guard my yard.”
As a guard, Paopao has to go up against some of the best in the league at that position, and she's been doing her best to hold her own.
“It's a mental game with defense,” Paopao said. “If you want to play defense, you're going to play defense. If you don't, then you don't. But I want to play defense, so I've got to tell myself to move them puppies. You gotta move your feet. Be there for your teammates, because they're depending on you.
“So I just tell myself to go out there and play defense. Offense is always gonna be there, and we have great weapons on the team as well, so I don't always have to focus on offense and I have the ability to focus on both ends.”
Te-Hina Paopao still learning in her rookie season with Dream
Paopao has been put in several different roles during her rookie season, and she's delivered in those moments. Most recently, she started in place of Jordin Canada in their game against the Dallas Wings and had a nice performance, finishing with 11 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.
On the other hand, she had the assignment of guarding Paige Bueckers, who was the No. 1 pick in the draft for a reason, and she showed why.
“I've had some slip-ups, and I know, I gotta do better on defense, for myself and for my teammates as well, and just facilitating the ball,” Paopao said. “I mean, that's why they put me in the game to do what I do as a point guard. And I gotta put two ends together.”
Paopao is averaging 5.1 points and 1.8 assists per game this season, and is in the top 10 of 3-point percentage in the league.
