Women's Fastbreak On SI

South Carolina Star Admits Gamecocks Got 'Punked' by UConn After Brutal Defeat

South Carolina Gamecocks guard Te-Hina Paopao was brutally honest about her team's performance against the UConn Huskies on Sunday.
Grant Young|
Feb 16, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Te-Hina Paopao (0) drives past UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Feb 16, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Te-Hina Paopao (0) drives past UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

One of the most stunning results of the 2024-25 NCAA women's basketball season occurred on Sunday as the No. 4 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks were routed by the No. 7 ranked UConn Huskies on their home court by a score of 87-58.

This defeat snapped a 71-game win streak for South Carolina at their home stadium. While the Huskies undoubtedly produced the best performance on their season to this point, South Carolina often looked hapless on both ends and couldn't find any consistent rhythm amid the beat down.

Gamecocks star guard and projected first-round pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft Te-Hina Paopao finished the game with 10 points on 3-11 shooting to go along with 2 assists in 29 minutes played. She spoke with the media after the contest ended and was honest about what occurred on the court.

"We just got punked today. It was very much embarrassing," Paopao is quoted saying in an X post from WACH Fox reporter Claire Foley. "We know that that's not who we are. It was very much self-inflicted, as well... We've just got to do a better job giving effort and being mentally and physically tough."

After the third quarter, Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley said of her team, "We just have to get tougher. I think all of our habits are showing up at the wrong time, and you can't do that against a team like UConn.

"They got it going on. They're shooting the ball extremely well, they're defending us, we're taking bad shots and they're making us pay for it. All the above doesn't equal to getting a win," she continued.

This marks the first time South Carolina has lost three games in the regular season since their 2020-21 campaign.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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