"Sorry I had to end your career" - South Carolina's Te-Hina Paopao takes playful jab at former teammate following win vs. Indiana

South Carolina guard Te-Hina Paopao was instrumental in the No. 1 seed Gamecocks beating the No. 9-seeded Indiana Hoosiers 64-53 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday evening. Paopao tallied nine points, four rebounds, two steals and four blocks in a stellar defensive effort to repel the Hoosiers' comeback attempt.

The game against the Hoosiers was a reunion for Paopao and Indiana star Sydney Parrish, who was her teammate when they both played for the Oregon Ducks. Parrish entered the transfer portal in 2022, and Paopao followed the next year.

During her postgame news conference, Te-Hina Paopao took a playful jab at Parrish while revealing how close they still are despite playing for rival teams.

"You know, after the game I said, 'I love you, Sydney, you know, all love to you, but I'm sorry I had to end your career.'" Paopao said. "But it's always love with her, and I'm just so proud of her and her journey, and I can't wait to see what she does next."

Before the game, Parrish revealed the close bond between herself and Te-Hina Paopao.

“She was the first person to text me the moment our names got called on Selection Sunday,” Parrish said. "It's special to have somebody on the other side of the court that, obviously, we're going to be competitive, but at the end of the day, she's one of my best friends, one of my sisters. She's family.”

Te-Hina Paopao gets praise for Big Dance performance

Before the Southeastern Conference Tournament tipped off two weeks ago, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley challenged her players to step up during the most critical part of the season, and Te-Hina Paopao stepped up when the team's attack wilted.

During her postgame news conference after the win against Indiana, Staley praised Paopao's performance against the Hoosiers.

"Pao's defense was great," Staley said. "It was executed to a T ... (Ciezki) is unconscious going left. She is super efficient, and Pao just sat on her left hand, forced her right.

"I think she got 12 points, but she would have gotten a lot more if she would have got into the flow of going left ... I don't think her defense gets enough credit in the past two years that she's been with us because it's gotten better and better and better, and then she had performances like she did today."

Next up for Te-Hina Paopao and the South Carolina Gamecocks in their quest to repeat as national champions is a clash against the winner of the Alabama Crimson Tide versus Maryland Terrapins game.