South Carolina coach Dawn Staley is one of the most renowned names in college basketball, having led the Gamecocks to three national championships. Aside from championships, Staley’s legacy is marked by the sheer number of prospects she produces for the WNBA.
During the 2025 WNBA season, 12 former Gamecocks were in training camps with WNBA teams, and 10 of them were on league rosters. Three South Carolina players were picked in the 2025 draft, with the Indiana Fever waiving Bree Hall, while Te-Hina Paopao and Sania Feagin made the Atlanta Dream and L.A. Sparks rosters, respectively.
Te-Hina Paopao Reveals the Impact of Dawn Staley’s Coaching in the WNBA
Former South Carolina star Te-Hina Paopao was one of the steals of the 2025 WNBA Draft. After an inconsistent season with the Gamecocks, Paopao fell to the second round of the draft and was picked No. 18 overall by the Atlanta Dream.
Paopao started her college basketball career playing for the Oregon Ducks before transferring to coach Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks, where she won a national championship last year.
During Wednesday’s segment of the In Case You Missed It podcast, Paopao revealed Staley’s impact on her adaptation to the WNBA and the sheer number of former South Carolina players she encounters in the league (3:30).
“The presence of the Gamecocks is unmatched. It feels like every game has at least one Gamecock. But just to be able to have that connection and relationship with them, it’s an amazing feeling to have, and you get to see a friend every time you play against a team,” Paopao said.
“She taught me about pro habits and being disciplined and being consistent with pro habits, because those are what you’re gonna have to fall back on when things are not going your way. That’s where I learned a lot from her and just being able to adjust as well to your circumstances. I learned a lot from her, but those are the main key points I learned in two years under her.”
Staley revealed that she recruited Paopao from Oregon due to her stellar shooting from beyond the arc, a facet that the South Carolina team had been missing. Paopao is just the latest in a long line of former South Carolina stars to grace the league.
Several former Gamecocks have achieved success in the league, led by former South Carolina star A’ja Wilson, who is the reigning WNBA MVP after leading the Las Vegas Aces to their third WNBA championship.
