COLUMBIA — Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao was sidelined with an ankle injury in South Carolina women’s basketball’s 78-38 win over South Dakota State, and for coach Dawn Staley, one statistic encapsulated the absence.
“I mean, 0-of-12 from 3,” Staley said. “She has a sense of calm to where she’s been in in every basketball situation. I know she would have just been a person out there that would have gotten us together.”
Despite the 40-point victory, top-ranked South Carolina (4-0) struggled through most of the first half against South Dakota State (2-2). Beyond the issues from long range, the Gamecocks hit just 33.3% from the field before halftime. They finished the game with their fewest combined assists and worst free-throw percentage of the season.
Sophomore point guard Raven Johnson kept South Carolina together from the backcourt with 18 points, six assists and five steals, and shot 9-for-13, but freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley was painfully inefficient, shooting just 5-of-16 for 11 points.
“Raven is trying, but Raven’s burning the candle at both ends playing on both sides of the basketball, so a lot of her energy is expended doing that,” Staley said. “Sometimes it’s great to have another point guard out there just to balance that out . . . It’s only been three games, but it’s been five, six months of us getting comfortable with her being out on the floor, so we missed her presence.”
In her first three games with South Carolina, Paopao averaged 14 points and five assists, shooting 53.3% from the field and 58.8% from 3-point range — good for No. 22 in the country. She had a career game on Thursday against Clemson, hitting 4 of 5 from 3-point range for 14 points in less than 20 minutes.
Fulwiley made an impact in other areas against South Dakota State, with five rebounds and three assists in her first career start replacing Paopao, but it was clear how valuable the senior’s steadiness is as a foil to Fulwiley’s quickness and flash. The freshman is still learning to make the smartest play over the exciting one.
“I feel like she’s looking for a really great moment, for a crowd-pleasing play. She has an appetite for that, and she loses sight of in between the great plays,” Staley said. “That’s where the majority of the game is being played. That’s where you have to be solid. I thought she had a really good week of focus in practice, but you’ve got to continue to give her more experiences in game situations . . . This is a slow process for her, because she’s only ever had to do what she’s doing, and she was the best at it. But you’re not going to always be the best if you approach it that way.”
Paopao’s absence also forced Kamilla Cardoso to step up as the most senior active member of the roster. The Jackrabbits limited the 6-foot-7 center to just nine points on four field goal attempts in the first half, but she settled in during the second to finish with a career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds.
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Cardoso eventually accepted the challenge of carrying the offense, but Staley wants to see her embrace that role from the opening whistle.
“We want Kamilla to get off to a dominating start and not let the game come to her but take the game to the game,” Staley said. “I thought we did a great job of just forcing her to take shots and getting the ball to her, and her being dominant . . . She can shoot it. She’s got a great midrange, a great touch. We just have to get her used to doing it a little more often.”