Three years of dedication to this team is paying off.
Oregon guard Te-Hina Paopao has made a name for herself on the court, providing a sense of comfort to those around her. The composure and confidence she exemplifies on the floor has led her to a successful season this winter for the Oregon women’s basketball team.
Paopao shows a high basketball IQ, and when paired with her calm attitude, it has allowed her to get herself on the Oregon all-time leaderboards. She proved herself to be comfortable from a distance, making many shots from behind the 3-point line while also maintaining accuracy at the free throw line.
With a free throw percentage of 88% this season, Paopao sits in fifth place all time.
In the third round of the Ducks’ WNIT game, she shot comfortably from the 3-point line (6-of-7), which gave her the fifth-best 3 point accuracy in a game at 85.7% in school history.
To continue her trend in 3-point shots, she totaled 81 on the year, putting her in a four-way tie for sixth place all time in three pointers made.
In just a three-year career at Oregon, Paopao has put herself at the top of the list for best free throw accuracy. From the beginning of the 2020 to the end of the 2023 season, she has maintained an 86.8% free throw percentage.
While the final game of the Pac-12 tournament ended in a quarterfinal loss to Stanford on March 2, Paopao had herself a historic night. She set a career high, scoring 28 total points.
A few weeks later, Oregon had a chance to keep its season alive after accepting its invite to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Ducks looked at that opportunity with a positive attitude, and they continued to play well.
Paopao opened up the WNIT nearing the career high she had set in her previous game with 24 points. She always carries herself as a team player and never fails to credit her teammates when mentioning any successes she has had.
“My teammates were finding me, and that tells me they were trusting me to shoot the shot,” Paopao said following the first round of the WNIT game. “And I did, so I am very happy about that.”
While she went through some low points in the middle of the season in terms of scoring, she was still able to have trust in her teammates, handing the ball off to them in order to get much needed shots.
“I am a pass-first type of guard,” Paopao said. “Whoever has got the hot hands I pass it to them.”
This type of team-oriented attitude was seen in the final home game of the season against San Diego during the third round of the WNIT. Paopao only attempted four shots before the fourth quarter, but ended the game with 10 assists.
“She is a mature, smart player who is going to do whatever it takes, and tonight it was working by letting others shoot,” head coach Kelly Graves said with a smile.
Paopao has proved this season that she can have an immense impact on the success of her team, not just in terms of her personal achievements and scoring, but the trust she has in the rest of her team to carry their weight, especially on nights when shots aren’t falling. As a veteran leader on this team, newer members of the Oregon squad have looked up to her. Following some tough losses this season, she used her experience to guide them through the rough stretches.
“Always bring a great attitude, no matter what life brings you,” Paopao said. “Basketball is just part of life. But you have to also be grateful and blessed to have opportunities like that.
