Atlanta Dream guard Te-Hina Paopao was selected in the second round of the 2025 WNBA Draft, picked 18th overall after a collegiate career that began in Oregon and ended at South Carolina.
Paopao was known as a steady shooter — she shot 40% from beyond the arc in her five-year NCAA career — but struggled a bit in her senior season, averaging a career-low 9.4 points per game. That may have influenced WNBA teams’ decisions to pass up on her.
But, less than two months into the WNBA season, it’s already clear that the 5’9 guard was one of the biggest steals of the draft.
Te-Hina Paopao is shooting a league-best 57.1% from three across 13 games this season. That scorching hot number is unlikely to be sustainable, but it’s also no surprise that the elite college shooter has managed to find her touch in the WNBA, particularly in a three-point centered Dream offense. Overall, she’s shooting 58.2% from the field.
Paopao is averaging 6.9 points in 14 minutes a night, and she’s already started 4 games in Atlanta. Teams who desperately needed three-point shooting — the Chicago Sky come to mind — certainly could have used her consistency from beyond the arc.
On Sunday, the South Carolina product erupted for five threes on six attempts; it’s her third time eclipsing that figure in four games.
A rookie that can shoot LIGHTS OUT
Te-Hina Paopao put on quite the shooting display in today’s win over the Sky!
Paopao had 16 PTS and went 5-6 from beyond the arc and finished the game shooting 83.3% from DEEP#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/O8X7WvOWVv
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 22, 2025
Te-Hina Paopao was drafted after several players who were already waived
Several players who were selected ahead of Paopao are currently out of the WNBA; Madison Scott, for example, who was selected 14th out of Ole Miss by the Dallas Wings, was waived ahead of the season. As was Shyanne Sellers, who was selected 17th by the Golden State Valkyries, and waived by both the Valkyries and, later, the Dream.
Others, like Anastasiia Kosu (Minnesota Lynx) and Maddy Westbeld (Sky), remain on the teams that drafted them, but have played very minimal roles.
Early success does not always spell career success, and other second-round picks may outperform Paopao when it’s all said and done. For now, though,
