South Carolina women's basketball: What does Te-Hina Paopao's return mean for the Gamecocks?

South Carolina Women’s Basketball: News • Recruiting • Schedule • Roster • Stats • SEC Standings • NCAA Polls • Scholarship Chart

---

On Monday evening, senior guard Te-Hina Paopao announced that she will return to South Carolina for a second season next year. What does this mean for Paopao and the Gamecocks?

How can a senior play another season?
The NCAA ruled that the 2020-21 season, when Paopao was a freshman at Oregon, would not count toward a player’s four years of eligibility. Essentially it gave players five seasons of eligibility instead of four, colloquially known as a “Covid year.” 

Paopao’s fellow seniors Kamilla Cardoso and Sakima Walker also have an extra season they could use. 

Is the decision surprising?
The timing of the announcement is surprising, but the decision is not. You’ve got to think that Paopao knew on Sunday she was going to return but kept a secret for Senior Day (to be fair, most players who have used their extra year still participated in their first Senior Day).

On Friday, Dawn Staley joked that she hoped one of the three seniors who was honored Sunday would be so overwhelmed that she decided to come back. She may have been dropping a clue.

As for the decision itself, Paopao made it clear last summer that she transferred to South Carolina because she thought it gave her the best chance to improve her WNBA Draft stock. She specifically cited her fitness and defense as areas she wanted to improve. 

She got better in both areas but this year’s draft is considered especially deep and Paopao was still a fringe first-round draft pick at best in mock drafts. Picks in the late first to second round have a hard time finding a roster spot. 

Next year’s draft is not expected to be as deep, so if Paopao continues to improve she could certainly move up the draft.

Does South Carolina have enough scholarships to bring Paopao back?
Absolutely. South Carolina currently has three of its 15 scholarships still free. There is room for Sarah Strong, who the Gamecocks are making a late push for, and potentially add another transfer. You can see South Carolina’s scholarship chart HERE, or by clicking “Scholarship Chart” at the top of any women’s basketball article.

[GamecockCentral for $1: In-depth coverage and a great community]

Does Paopao’s return push someone else out?
Doubtful. It wasn’t a direct transaction, but when South Carolina added Paopao last summer it eventually led to Talysia Cooper transferring out. The difference is that South Carolina also added freshmen guards MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson last season, and all three had moved in front of Cooper on the depth chart. 

South Carolina is only adding one guard this offseason, point guard Maddy McDaniel. McDaniel is a point guard, so she plays a different position than Johnson or Fulwiley. She also recently suffered a meniscus injury and it is possible she won’t be ready for the start of next season.

Wing Sahnya Jah has been suspended indefinitely since February 8 for conduct detrimental to the team. Staley said there was a path back for Jah, but she remains sidelined almost a month later. If Jah transfers after the season, it will be because of that, not because Paopao returned.

How big is this for the Gamecocks?
Huge! If getting Paopao out of the portal last summer was a home run, this is a two-run blast. It works on a team and individual level.

As mentioned above, there isn’t a clear timetable for McDaniel’s return, and as a point guard, any missed time in the offseason is magnified. She would have been the only point guard on the roster behind Raven Johnson. 

Now South Carolina returns its point guard rotation from this season and there is no pressure to rush McDaniel back. 

Also, Paopao is really good. She leads the nation in three-point shooting and was named a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award on Monday (five best point guards in the country). Paopao is also on multiple national Player of the Year late-season watch lists and is a likely All-American. 

Could anyone else return?
Cardoso is a likely top-five pick in the draft. It’s probably in her best interest to turn pro.

Walker is not a WNBA prospect, so she has to decide whether to play another year in Columbia, transfer again, or end her collegiate career. She has not given any hints about which direction she is leaning.

Discuss South Carolina women’s basketball on The Insiders Forum!