The 2025 WNBA Draft is still many months away, but that hasn't stopped excitement building around who the Golden State Valkyries will be able to draft at the 5th, 17th, and 30th spots. Heavy hitters like Azzi Fudd and Hailey Van Lith are possibilities, but there's one powerhouse guard that no one has really floated as a possibility for GSV: Te-Hina Paopao.
Paopao has easily been a first round contender in nearly every mock draft that's been put together since last year, so getting drafted isn't a question. But she could bring key skills that the Valkyries appear to have prioritized with their Expansion Draft options, chiefly the ability to fire the ball into the hole.
The California native transferred from Oregon to South Carolina in 2023 with two years of eligibility remaining after having averaged 12.5 points, 3.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds in three seasons in Eugene. She was ranked as a number 7 transfer prospect by ESPN.
Her transition to South Carolina and the SEC was seamless and she was one of the top shooters in NCAAW basketball throughout the 2023-24 season. Paopao, who started 37 games last year, was a huge part of the reason why the Gamecocks took home the champioship
So what could all of this do for Golden State? It just depends on what the team is looking for in terms of both size and ability — they could opt to keep adding height and bring in French forward-center Dominique Malonga, who is 6'6" and who would be yet another international addition to a team that's already drafted 7 players from overseas.
But Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase made it clear that the team prioritized three-point shooting and toughness for the Expansion Draft, and Paopao certainly brings both to the table. Her 3-Pt% under Coach Staley was 46.8% last year, and so far she's averaging 46.2% this season, which puts her on track for another incredible season.
As for mental and physical toughness, Paopao has always had both. Terri Bamford, her head coach in elementary and middle schoool, told The Coast News this year, "She was a fifth grader and we have a big club, so fifth-sixth practices on one side of the court and seventh-eighth on the other."
"My coach from the younger side came up to me and said, ‘Hey, I think you need to move her up.’ When we went to run the offense — flex-motion at that time — it’s tough for 10-year-olds to pick up offenses, so she watched, and I asked, ‘Are you ready?’ She was like, ‘Yeah.’ I said again, ‘You got it?’ She was like, ‘Yeah.’ She ran the point guard spot and she was great. She played on our 15U team as we traveled the country at 10," Bamford added.
The NCAAW season is young, but one thing is likely: Te-Hina Paopao is a force to be reckoned with, and is already bringing a lot of heat to her final seson with South Carolina — and it's likely the Valkyries (and every other WNBA team) have taken notice.