🅃🄴‑🄷🄸🄽🄰 🄿🄰🄾🄿🄰🄾 Shines Bright: How the Atlanta Dream’s Rookie Sensation from South Carolina is Lighting Up the WNBA with Unprecedented Three‑Point Precision and Poised Leadership Under New Coach Karl Smesko’s Revolutionized Offense

🅃🄴‑🄷🄸🄽🄰 🄿🄰🄾🄿🄰🄾 Shines Bright: How the Atlanta Dream’s Rookie Sensation from South Carolina is Lighting Up the WNBA with Unprecedented Three‑Point Precision and Poised Leadership Under New Coach Karl Smesko’s Revolutionized Offense

 

ATLANTA, June 30, 2025 – In what’s quickly becoming one of the most mesmerizing rookie performances in recent WNBA memory, Te‑Hina Paopao, the Atlanta Dream’s second‑round draft pick, is not only turning heads—she’s making defenders tremble. Since her electrifying entry into the league, Paopao has emerged as the top three‑point shooter in the WNBA, posting a staggering 57.1% shooting percentage from deep across her first 13 games .

 

 

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🔥 A Rookie Explosion: Draft Day Steal to WNBA Standout

 

Paopao was selected 18th overall in this year’s draft, a perceived downside sparked by a down senior year at South Carolina. But that perspective has already proven wildly inaccurate. Atlanta’s investment is paying off in emphatic style: the 5′9″ guard, a two‑time All‑SEC honoree who transferred from Oregon to South Carolina for a national title run, has never looked back .

 

After earning a championship in 2024 with the Gamecocks and finishing second-team All-American, Paopao’s sharp shooting and disciplined habits caught the attention of Coach Karl Smesko, who described her as part of his offense-centered vision—precisely the role he drafted her to fill .

 

 

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📊 Dazzling Stats & Defining Moments

 

Paopao’s numbers are nothing short of extraordinary:

 

57.1% from 3‑point range across 13 games—league-leading and one of the best marks in modern WNBA history .

 

Averages 6.9 points in just 14 minutes per game.

 

Scored 16 points in a 93‑80 win over Chicago Sky—an outing built around five-of-six threes .

 

Has reached 16‑point highs three times in her last four games .

 

 

In her historic performance against the Sky, Paopao secured 15 of her 16 points from beyond the arc—solidifying her spot as a threat teams must account for .

 

 

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⚙️ Scheme Fit & Coaching Chemistry

 

Under Karl Smesko’s leadership—a coach known for the “shoot first, shoot second” offensive philosophy—Paopao is the perfect piece. Smesko prioritized shooting in the draft, pairing her with veteran sharpshooters like Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and returning guard Jordin Canada .

 

Paopao brings a calm, disciplined style inspired by Hall-of-Fame coach Dawn Staley at South Carolina. Her ability to stay poised under pressure, handle the ball calmly, and lock into defense made her an immediate fit—solidifying her place despite being a second-round pick .

 

 

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🤝 Stepping Up in Moments That Matter

 

Paopao was thrust into the spotlight early this season after an unfortunate injury to Jordin Canada during the preseason . She embraced that opportunity, earning her first start against the Indiana Fever on May 22—contributing 11 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds in 29 minutes while shooting 50% from deep .

 

Her assertiveness and readiness impressed veterans:

 

> Naz Hillmon: “She brings energy … always ready. That’s a spark for us.”

 

 

 

Head coach Smesko echoed admiration:

 

> “She competes on the defensive end, she can handle the ball … stays calm under pressure.” .

 

 

 

 

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🌪 Early Success & Sustainability

 

While such scorching shooting marks often regress, Paopao’s background suggests sustainability. She’s posted 40%+ from deep throughout her five-year college career—including a staggering 46.8% during the 2023–24 championship season, where she led Division I .

 

Her size (5′9″) and ability to make pull‑up triples set her apart from catch‑and‑shoot specialists—granting her a ceiling as a consistent, high‑impact role player .

 

 

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🌟 Beyond Numbers: Cultural Impact & Team Dynamics

 

Paopao isn’t just a credible sharpshooter—she’s energized the locker room. Her infectious spirit and readiness have brought a vitality to the Dream’s bench that’s been noted by teammates and media alike .

 

As a rookie, she’s adapting quickly to the team’s schemes and contributing in short bursts off the bench. Her measured aggression, ball movement, and spatial awareness are already enhancing the Dream’s offensive flow .

 

 

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🔭 Looking Ahead: Can She Keep It Up?

 

The pressing questions remain:

 

Will Paopao maintain her elite three-point percentage?

 

Can she stay earning minutes once Canada returns and rotation tightens?

 

How will she adapt when opponents prioritize guarding her?

 

 

Regardless, her early-season surge is a narrative highlight—a second-round pick blossoming into a consistent impact player. And if she sustains even a fraction of this pace, she could force a permanent role in Atlanta’s evolving core.

 

 

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✅ Final Take

 

Te‑Hina Paopao is not just surviving—she’s thriving. In a matter of weeks, she’s turned skepticism into celebration, earned her team’s trust, and become one of the most efficient shooters in the league. Her journey from transfer student to national champion, to second-round rookie, to WNBA standout is a testament to her resilience, discipline, and fit within Atlanta’s strategic pivot.

 

The Dream’s experiment—with veteran bigs, three‑point firepower, and a rookie assassin—may just be paying early dividends. And at the center of it all: Paopao, the rookie who could redefine what second‑round picks can become.