Te-Hina Paopao is bringing her game to Athletes Unlimited in 2026
Te-Hina Paopao is just getting started in her professional career, but she’s already leaving her mark. The rookie guard is averaging 5.7 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 rebounds for the Atlanta Dream. Once her first WNBA season wraps, she’ll head straight into Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball to continue sharpening her game.
For Paopao, AU is the next step in a journey marked by steady growth and big moments. Before turning pro, Paopao left a lasting mark at both Oregon and South Carolina. She earned all-conference honors every year of her college career, becoming a two-time All-Pac-12 First Team selection with the Ducks before transferring to South Carolina and thriving in the SEC.
With the Gamecocks, she was at the heart of some of the program’s greatest moments, helping guide them to an undefeated 38-0 national championship season in 2023-24 – just the fifth perfect campaign in NCAA women’s basketball history. She followed that by starting all 39 games in 2024-25, leading South Carolina back to the national title game.
Individually, she was one of the most dangerous perimeter shooters in the nation. Paopao led Division I in 3-point shooting percentage as a senior at .468 and closed her college career ranked second in South Carolina history with a .422 mark from deep. She scored her 1,000th career point during her senior season, added multiple All-America honors, and proved herself a clutch performer, hitting critical shots in NCAA Tournament play and against top-ranked opponents throughout her time in Columbia.
Those achievements only add to a career arc that’s been trending upward since high school. As a McDonald’s All-American and California Gatorade Player of the Year in 2020, Paopao entered college as one of the top guards in her class and consistently lived up to expectations. Now, as she transitions fully into the professional ranks, she has the chance to add another chapter with Athletes Unlimited.
Paopao’s rookie year with the Dream has shown flashes of her offensive versatility and ability to run an offense at the highest level. In Nashville this winter, she’ll have the opportunity to unlock additional aspects of her game in the new competition format.
AU Pro Basketball returns to Nashville, Tennessee, with elite talent and electrifying energy, for its fifth championship season on February 4, 2026, at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. Group and season ticket deposits for the upcoming season are available now.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
