One season in Columbia wasn’t enough for South Carolina women’s basketball’s Te-Hina Paopao.
On Monday night, the Gamecocks senior guard announced on her social media that she will be utilizing her COVID-19 extra year of eligibility and returning to South Carolina next season.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you and South Carolina have meant to T and our whole family. Last summer, you promised us that T would have another family in South Carolina looking out for her. In your program, she found a place she could flourish, be happy and revive her love for the game of basketball,” Paopao’s dad, Paul, told Gamecocks’ coach Dawn Staley in the video.
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“You promised T that you could get her ready for the next level in a program like South Carolina,” Paul said. “The past six months have been everything we thought they could be for our whole family. They have given T life and we are so thankful for that. But coach, we real talk, what we really called to tell you is that these last six months have not been enough. T wants more. … Let’s run it back.”
Paopao’s announcement quickly got a reaction from her coach.
“A birdie is staying in the nest! Let’s goooo Pao!!! @GamecockWBB FAMS we are running it back!!!,” Stanley wrote on her X account (formerly called Twitter).
A birdie is staying in the nest! Let’s goooo Pao!!!!! @GamecockWBB FAMs we are running it back!!!
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) March 5, 2024
Paopao, who transferred to South Carolina this past offseason after three years at Oregon, has been a pivotal part of South Carolina’s undefeated season thus far and is expected to be a WNBA lottery pick next season.
The Oceanside, California native leads the nation in 3-point shooting percentage at 48.6% on five attempts per game.
Paopao and the Gamecocks begin SEC tournament play on Friday at 12 p.m. ET as they look to defend their crown in Paopao’s first season.
Te-Hina Paopao stats
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Career: 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 43.4% field goal shooting percentage and 40.8% shooting from beyond the arc
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2023 season (South Carolina): 11.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 48.3% field goal shooting percentage and 48.6% shooting from beyond the arc.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao announces return for fifth year
