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Three-point shooting is not the be all, end all of statistics we should use when measuring a player’s value to a team. It’s hard to discount midrange prowess in a league chock full of players so proficient at it – looking at you, Courtney Williams – and the WNBA is dominated by its talented bigs who find their scoring in the post.
That’s what makes three-point shooting all the more important, though. You need the spacing that they provide to see your bigs thrive. It’s the case with teams like the New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury, and Atlanta Dream – squads with talented frontcourts that were intentionally surrounded by three-point shooting.
For that last team mentioned, the Dream, this has been made a point of emphasis by head coach Karl Smesko, who brought his three-point volume philosophy over from his time as the head coach at Florida Gulf Coast to Atlanta. His game plan for the Dream, which added a three-point shooting emphasis on their starters like Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, was tailor-made for their frontcourt, which now features Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones.
Another piece to this three-point shooting puzzle, though, has arrived in the form of rookie guard Te-Hina Paopao. The former South Carolina Gamecock was taken by Atlanta after one of the worst shooting seasons of her collegiate career when shooting just 37 percent on 4.2 attempts per game. That was a drop off from her career-best 47 percent three-point shooting season in 2023-24.
She’s also third in the league in three-point shooting overall, only behind Kennedy Burke (49.2 percent from three) and Lexie Hull (50 percent from three). She has completely gotten back to form with Atlanta, however. On 2.6 attempts per game off the bench for Smesko, she’s hitting 47.6 percent of her threes. That’s the best efficiency for any rookie in the WNBA who takes an average of two or more three pointers per game and has also played a significant portion of the season.
A rookie that can shoot LIGHTS OUT 🚨
Te-Hina Paopao put on quite the shooting display in today’s win over the Sky!
Paopao had 16 PTS and went 5-6 from beyond the arc and finished the game shooting 83.3% from DEEP#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/O8X7WvOWVv
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 22, 2025
Paopao’s ability to act as Atlanta’s secondary ball handler on their second unit has helped her to essentially set herself up for shots. When she drives, she’s doing so with the intent of curling back out into the corner for an easy bucket off an open look. When setting plays or calling for a pick, she’s intending on creating just enough space for herself to get her lightning-quick release off. She’s doing everything right as the team’s second string guard right now, and it’s allowed her to get even more minutes with starters as the benefit of her shooting is so great to Griner and Jones.
When she’s not hunting a three, she also has the footwork to score from the midrange and in the post. Her strength as a smaller guard helps her against other guards her size that are forced to respect her range and essentially stay glued to her hip on drives, lest she make a fool of them by either kicking the ball out to another shooter. When she’s not defended like this, she’s able to create her own shot pretty easily.
What a MOVE by Te-Hina Paopao 🤩
She drives hard, fakes one way, then brings it back for the bucket!
NYL-ATL | ESPN3 + League Pass pic.twitter.com/XwaWkOTPJU
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 29, 2025
Paopao has managed to get this much success while only playing an average of 13.4 minutes per game. While her bench scoring is sorely needed, you can’t help but wonder how she could boost the Dream to even greater heights by being inserted into the starting lineup. There are several rookies already starting for their teams, like Paige Bueckers with the Dallas Wings and the Washington Mystics’ neophyte duo in Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.
But, those are rookies in different situations than Paopao – rookies expected to step up like veterans for teams that are on the cusp of falling into the doldrums of the standings (the Wings) or on the cusp of actually remaining within reach of the 8th seed (the Mystics).
Paopao is a key role player on an Atlanta team with aspirations of a deep postseason run. Rocking the boat with a starting lineup change may not be necessary, considering how well the team has been performing with their current system in place.
Regardless of her starting or not, it’s obvious that Paopao is yet another rookie who has come into her first year looking completely up to the challenge of going up against veteran WNBA talent. She’s making a case for an All-Rookie team spot in the process.
