Te-Hina Paopao could've been teammates with Hailey Van Lith, Sedona Prince at TCU if it wasn't for Dawn Staley and her father: "It was a no-brainer"

Te-Hina Paopao and the South Carolina Gamecocks made history in the 2023-24 NCAA season, winning the national championship after posting a perfect 38-0 record. That dream season for Paopao wouldn't have happened if not for the intervention of her father and Dawn Staley, who convinced her to join the Gamecocks instead of TCU.

Paopao made the revelation in Wednesday's episode of "The Coop" hosted by Olivia Thompson. She opened up about her life in the transfer portal following her decision to leave the Oregon Ducks in 2023.

"It really came down to one school and that was TCU because Mark Campbell used to coach at Oregon," Paopao said (Timestamp 28:48). "He recruited me there and he ended up getting the head coaching job at TCU, so it was a no-brainer, like I’m going to go to TCU."

Things changed when Dawn Staley added her name to the list of coaches interested in acquiring Paopao's services.

"And then I get a call from my high school coach like, ‘Hey, Dawn wants to talk to you from South Carolina.’ I was like ‘Dawn Staley, right? You know the team that was in the championship, right?’"

"She said ‘Yeah.’ I was like ‘Yeah give me a call, like what the heck.’ Like it would be dumb for me not to take that call."

Te-Hina Paopao received a phone call from Staley as she was on her way to class. The South Carolina coach made it clear that she wanted Paopao on her team and invited her to visit the campus in Columbia. Paopao's father was ecstatic when he learned about Staley's invitation from his daughter.

"Next thing you know like within two hours, he’s like, 'Yeah we already planned your visit. You’re going to go see her this time at this time. We’re going to leave this time. You and your brother are going to go to Portland. Fly from there,'" Paopao said.

Paopao smiled as she recalled how her father helped facilitate her move to South Carolina.

"You know I just talked to you like two hours ago. You already scheduled it and then history from there," Paopao said.

Te-Hina's move to South Carolina denied Mark Campbell the opportunity to add the talented point guard to his TCU lineup. Paopao could have formed a potent partnership with Sedona Prince in the 2023-24 NCAA season. The Horned Frogs could have also had a Big Three, as Hailey Van Lith moved to TCU from LSU this 2024-25 season.

Te-Hina Paopao off to solid start in final season with South Carolina

Te-Hina Paopao is one of the main reasons why No. 2 South Carolina started the season with a 21-1 record. She is averaging 10.6 points, 2.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds through 22 games.

South Carolina Gamecocks guard Te-Hina Paopao (#0) in action against the LSU Tigers. Photo: Imagn

Paopao has scored in double figures in 14 games this season, including four of the Gamecocks' last six outings. Dawn Staley trusts her to the point that she leads the team in playing time this season. The senior guard is averaging 25.2 minutes per contest.