"Not ready for them to leave": Fans join Chloe Kitts and more as South Carolina's Te-Hina Paopao and Bree Hall pose for graduation pics

South Carolina's Te-Hina Paopao and Bree Hall graduated this weekend, and the Gamecocks shared the pictures of the two on Instagram on Monday, December 16. While Hall played all four years in South Carolina, Paopao spent three years with the Oregon Ducks before joining the Gamecocks for her final two years.

"It's graduation day for @breezyhall and @tehinapaopao ❤️," the caption read.

South Carolina players and fans expressed their feelings and congratulated the two players in the comments.

"🥹🥹🥹," forward Chloe Kitts commented.

"aww 🥺🥺🥺," forward Sania Feagin wrote.

"Awhhhh😭😭🥹🥹 not ready for them to leave," a fan wrote.

Fan reactions to Paopao and Hall (Credits: Instagram/@gamecockwbb)

As the Gamecocks attempt to defend their 2024 national championship win, Bree Hall and Te-Hina Paopao play an important role in leading the team as experienced veterans.

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South Carolina coach Dawn Staley shares honest thoughts on Te-Hina Paopao

Last season Te-Hina Paopao averaged 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, helping South Carolina immensely, especially during the March Madness run. In the 11 games she's played this season, Paopao is averaging 11.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals.

During South Carolina's game against Purdue, Te-Hina Paopao scored her lowest, finishing with four points, two rebounds, and two assists. Despite this, coach Dawn Staley praised the guard, saying (via The Mirror):

“It is a privilege to coach Pao. That's one; two, when you have three pretty darn good point guards, like, you really can't go wrong. Pao, Raven [Johnson] now, Maddie [McDaniel], they do a great job at picking up where the other one left off, or if the other one is not having, you know, that type of game. They can kind of see it and feel it for each other."

"But Pao, I mean, her defense, her defense was more impressive to me than her ability to facilitate what I've seen her facilitate before. I've never seen her pick up 94 feet time and time again when we subbed out Raven, that's usually Raven's job to do that, but Pao made a concerted effort to do it in practice the last two days.”

Paopao's biggest strength last season was her 3-point shooting, but she has yet to tap into it this season. She made 45.5% of her shots from beyond the arc.

After the 78-62 win over USF on Sunday, the South Carolina Gamecocks will next face the Charleston Southern Buccaneers on Thursday.