After winning the 2024 National Championship at South Carolina, Te-Hina Paopao brought her well-rounded play to Atlanta in her WNBA debut. With the Dream trailing Washington in a tightly-contested season opener at CareFirst Arena, the rookie guard showcased the defensive instincts and court awareness that made her the 18th overall pick. Reading the Mystics' pass-and-cut attempt perfectly, Paopao jumped the passing lane for a deflection then immediately pushed the ball up court. Recognizing the numbers advantage, she evaded the defense with a smooth eurostep before floating in a soft-touch layup. She followed up this crafty first professional bucket with a long range bucket and a soft-touch floater to complete her 7-point, 3-reb, 4-ast WNBA debut. · May 16, 2025