Since we last checked in on them, the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (9-0) have appeared mortal, gutting out tough tests from North Carolina, Duke and Utah rather running teams off the floor with 100-point performances.
While not as fun as high-flying affairs, the closer contests have provided more information about the mettle of this South Carolina team. In particular, we’ve learned that their resiliency comes from their starting backcourt: senior guard Te-Hina Paopao, junior guard Bree Hall and sophomore guard Raven Johnson.
It’s that trio that consistently has been on the court in tense moments, indicating head coach Dawn Staley’s trust and confidence in three to guide the still relatively-inexperienced Gamecocks to victory. And for good reason. Here’s more on the winning contributions of Paopao, Hall and Johnson.
The poise of Paopao
A few weeks ago, our Eric Nemchock evaluated Paopao’s WNBA prospects, highlighting how she “has held everything together” for the nation’s top-ranked team, both tangibly with her production and intangibly with her leadership.
Since then,…
