"I want young Samoan girls to look up to me": South Carolina star Te-Hina Paopao reveals why she wants to become an inspiration to young generation

South Carolina star Te-Hina Paopao is proud of her culture, and she's highlighting it in her new Under Armour campaign. Under Armour Basketball shared a new ad with her on Wednesday on Instagram.

"This is family business @tehinapaopao is showing young Samoan girls that anything is possible," the caption read.

In the advertisement, the Gamecocks guard reflects on the fact that she didn't have a female basketball player to look up to growing up and that she wants to change that for the next generation.

"I want young Samoan girls to look up to me and be like, 'Hey, she did this, so I can do this,'" Paopao said.

SEC Tournament championship game: South Carolina vs. Texas - Source: Imagn

The Under Armour advertisement goes on to show video clips of the South Carolina senior in games and shooting around on a practice court for the campaign. She explained her history with basketball.

"I got into basketball because my brothers played it," Paopao said. "At a young age, it was very competitive, just because my brothers thought they were better than me. Now, I don't think they can even touch me because ... you know what? I'm not even gonna say that."

SEC Tournament championship game: South Carolina vs. Texas - Source: Imagn

Paopao reflected on introducing her teammates to her Samoan culture. She said it didn't take long for her fellow Gamecocks to realize she had a big family, with 20-plus people coming to support her at games.

"We're very united, very family-oriented," Paopao said.

SEC Tournament championship game: South Carolina vs. Texas - Source: Imagn

The South Carolina star continued to discuss her family and her basketball career in the rest of her new ad, which highlights her Samoan culture and the impact she hopes to have on young Samoan girls.

SEC Tournament semifinal: South Carolina vs. Oklahoma - Source: Imagn

Te-Hina Paopao's senior season at South Carolina

Te-Hina Paopao is in her second season at South Carolina after beginning her college career with three seasons at Oregon. As a senior, she is averaging 9.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

The guard has started in every game for the Gamecocks this season and averages 25.1 minutes of playing time. She's shooting 44.4%, including 36.6% from beyond the arch.

SEC Tournament semifinal: South Carolina vs. Oklahoma - Source: Imagn

Paopao has been making an impact on the court for No. 2-ranked South Carolina, and her new campaign with Under Armour is allowing her to make an impact with her culture as well.