Former South Carolina women's basketball star Te-Hina Paopao made her first public appearance in Atlanta as a member of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Braves' 4-3 win against the Minnesota Twins on April 19. The occasion marked a celebratory welcome for the 18th overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Paopao, a 5-foot-9 guard from South Carolina, was selected by the Dream in the second round of the April 14 draft. While the event was held in New York, Paopao chose to watch the draft from her hometown of Oceanside, California, with her family.

She was the first South Carolina player taken in the draft, followed by Bree Hall (No. 20 to the Indiana Fever) and Sania Feagin (No. 21 to the Los Angeles Sparks). Paopao played two seasons with the Gamecocks after transferring from Oregon and served as a key backcourt presence for coach Dawn Staley.

Te-Hina Paopao is ‘reliable' addition to Dream

South Carolina Gamecocks guard Te-Hina Paopao (0) reacts during the fourth quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against the Texas Longhorns.
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In her final college season, Paopao averaged 9.4 points and a team-leading 2.8 assists per game. She also recorded 1.1 steals per contest, an improvement over her previous season, and had an impressive 3-point shooting efficiency in 2023 with a 46.8% mark from deep, according to Lulu Kesin of the Greenville News.

Atlanta will look to Paopao to bring reliable perimeter shooting and steady ball handling to their backcourt rotation. Her defensive improvement during her time at South Carolina, particularly in March Madness, where she tallied eight steals in six games, drew praise from Staley.

Known as a smart passer and steady leader, Paopao brings a versatile skill set to Atlanta. Though her scoring average dipped slightly this past season, her ability to run the floor, create in transition and stretch the defense with her range could earn her early minutes as a pro.

The Dream are expected to begin training camp in the coming weeks. For Paopao, her first pitch at the Braves game was a symbolic start to what she hopes will be a long and productive WNBA career in Atlanta.