Highly ranked recruits Mia and Mya Pauldo’s father DJ Pauldo discloses key factor in their recruitment decision

Fifteen-year-old twins Mia and Mya Pauldo, standout high school basketball prospects from New Jersey, have signed lucrative NIL deals with sportswear giant Puma. These rising stars, who attend Morris Catholic in Denville, are among the youngest athletes to secure such agreements.

Their burgeoning brand extends beyond the court, featuring a reality show with Overtime, and they have just concluded their junior year of high school. Mia and Mya Pauldo aim to follow in the footsteps of the Cavinder Twins, trailblazers in the NIL landscape.

DJ Pauldo, the twins’ father, emphasized the critical role of NIL in their recruitment.

“If you’re recruiting us and you don’t mention NIL, you don’t really know who we are,” DJ told On3.

Highlighting their pioneering status, he added:

“We’re spearheading this whole NIL movement at the high school level. The first and youngest to get the Puma deal, we’ve opened doors for other young female athletes to secure deals. There was no one before us.”

The inseparable duo faced a brief separation this spring when Mia attended the FIBA U18 AmeriCup trials, leaving Mya at home. Mia ranked in the top 15 for the 2025 recruits and saw her prospects soar last summer, receiving numerous offers from top programs.

Conversely, Mya’s ranking dipped following a thumb injury, sidelining her and halting her momentum. DJ Pauldo candidly discussed the situation:

“I’m very transparent with them because I want them to be prepared. And that’s what it is. [Mya] understands. Everything is based off of her, and unfortunately last year, she was hurt."

"She had some surgery. That put a pause on everything and that’s when Mia went nuts last summer … that’s when the calls just really started getting crazy for [Mia]. But they really doubled down on what their decision is.”

Mia and Mya Pauldo prioritize playing together in college recruitment

Twin high school basketball stars Mia and Mya Pauldo have clarified that their recruitment hinges on playing together. If a school doesn’t offer Mya, it’s a dealbreaker.

“We want to do everything together,” Mia explained. “Our journey will always be together.”

Mia and Mya Pauldo play as point guards, yet their diverse skills create a dynamic pairing.

“We have different skill sets, so playing together makes sense,” Mia said. “We complement each other. Mya is more of a combo guard but also a point guard. She’s the main leader and sometimes she’s got to pick me up.”

On Tuesday, the twins announced their top four schools: Penn State, Illinois, Texas Tech and Tennessee. They have visited Texas Tech and Tennessee but are approaching their decision with caution.

“We aren’t rushing anything at all because we want to make the right decision,” Mia added, “We want to ensure that wherever we go has that family atmosphere and that the coach truly wants us to play together.”

Mia and Mya Pauldo, who combined for 991 points as freshmen, have also excelled individually. Mia averaged 22.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 4.0 steals per game. Mya contributed 16.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.0 apg and 3.0 spg.