South Carolina women's basketball stars make Wooden Award watch list

On Thursday, a pair of South Carolina women’s basketball guards found themselves on the watch list for the John R. Wooden Award.

The 50-player watch list includes both Te-Hina Paopao and MiLaysia Fulwiley. Both players also made the preseason watch list for another National Player of the Year honor, the Naismith Award, along with fellow Gamecock guard Raven Johnson. The duo of Paopao and Fulwiley also cracked ESPN’s top-25 player list.

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From the South Carolina Athletics press release:

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball guards MiLaysia Fulwiley and Te-Hina Paopao earned spots on the John R. Wooden Award, presented by Principal, Preseason Women’s Top 50 Watch List, the LA Athletic Club announced today.

Fulwiley burst onto the college scene with attention-grabbing moves in last season’s opener and steadily built her game throughout the season to land on the SEC All-Freshman Team. She was the Gamecocks’ top scorer 11 times last season, the second most on the team, as part of 23 double-figure scoring games, which included three 20-point outings. She finished with 11.7 points per game, which was second on the team, and grabbed SEC Tournament MVP honors after averaging 14.3 points at the event, including a 24-point outing in the title game.

Paopao was the nation’s top 3-point percentage shooter last season who earned All-America honors and was an All-SEC Second Team selection as well. She averaged 11.0 points and 3.7 assists last season with those numbers rising to 12.6 points and 4.0 assists per game against ranked opponents. The Oregon transfer has drawn all-conference honors every year of her college career. This season, Paopao opened with nine points and a team-high four assists against Michigan.

The players on the list, which is chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts, are considered strong candidates for the 2025 John R. Wooden Award Women’s Player of the Year. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award midseason list, late season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Wooden Award voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during the tournament’s early-round games. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2025 John R. Wooden Award, presented by Principal, will be presented at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on April 11, 2025.

No. 1/1 South Carolina is back in action on Sun., Nov. 10, against No. 9/8 NC State at the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte. The Gamecocks make their Colonial Life Arena debut on Thu., Nov. 14, against Coppin State with tipoff set for 7 p.m.

Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on South Carolina women’s basketball.

Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List

Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Sarah Andrews, Baylor
Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Madison Booker, Texas
Paige Bueckers, UConn
Haley Cavinder, Miami
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame
Audi Crooks, Iowa State
KK Deans, Ole Miss
Katie Dinnebier, Drake
Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Frida Fomann, Colorado
Azzi Fudd, UConn
MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina
Rori Harmon, Texas
Hanna Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Kiki Iriafen, Southern Cal
Aziah James, NC State
Flau’jae Johnson, SLU
Deja Kelly, Oregon
Gianna Kneepkens, Utah
Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State
Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
Charlisse Leger-Walker, UCLA
Darianna Littlepage Buggs, Baylor
Alexis Markowski, Nebraska
Cotie McMahon, Ohio State
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Lucy Olsen, Iowa
Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
Ajae Petty, Ohio State
Laila Phelia, Texas
JJ Quinerly, West Virginia
Kiki Rice, UCLA
Reigan Richardson, Duke
Saniya Rivers, NC State
Emily Ryan, Iowa State
Madison Scott, Ole Miss
Shyanne Sellers, Maryland
Hannah Stuelke, Iowa
Alyssa Ustby, North Carolina
Hailey Van Lith, TCU
Skylar Vann, Oklahoma
Talia von Oehlhoffen, Southern Cal
JuJu Watkins, Southern Cal
Maddy Westbeld, Notre Dame
Mikaylah Williams, LSU

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