Cardoso, Paopao on USBWA Player of the Year Watch List
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball seniors Kamilla Cardoso and Te-Hina Paopao earned spots on the Ann Meyers Drysdale USBWA National Player of the Year Watch List, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced today.
Cardoso is South Carolina’s top scorer and rebounder, averaging a double-double at 14.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, ranking 29th in the nation in rebounding average. Her 2.9 blocks per game are 10th in the country, and her .586 field goal percentage is 18th. In advanced metrics, Cardoso is fourth in the nation in defensive player rating. She has been the Gamecocks’ top scorer a team-high nine times, top rebounder 13 times and has 12 double-doubles on the season. Cardoso is on the current watch list for every national player of the year award as well as for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award.
Paopao is the nation’s top 3-point shooter and among the SEC’s best distributors, landing her on the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Top 10 list. She is shooting an NCAA-best 48.9 percent from 3-point range, making 2.5 threes per game to rank second in the SEC. Her 3.7 assists per game are 10th in the league, and her 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio is 28th in the nation. Paopao leads the SEC and ranks 23rd in the country in player offensive rating and averages 11.5 points on the season, which ranks second on the team. Her 15.0 points per game against ranked opponents (6 games) leads the Gamecocks and includes 48.7 percent shooting from 3-point range in those outings.
No. 1/1 South Carolina has two regular-season game remaining, starting with a trip to Arkansas for a 9 p.m. ET tipoff on Thu., Feb. 29, ahead of a noon tipoff on Sun., Mar. 3, against Tennessee.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on South Carolina women’s basketball.
2024 Ann Meyers Drysdale USBWA National Player of the Year Watch List
Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech
Meghan Andersen, Fairfield
Raegan Beers, Oregon State
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Madison Booker, Texas
Cameron Brink, Stanford
Tayla Brugler, St. Joseph’s
Paige Bueckers, UConn
Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
Kaitlyn Chen, Princeton
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Dyaisha Fair, Syracuse
Lauren Gustin, BYU
Madison Hayes, NC State
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
McKenna Hofschild, Colorado State
MacKenzie Holmes, Indiana
Abbey Hsu, Columbia
Kiki Irafen, Stanford
Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
Aziaha James, NC State
Deja Kelly, North Carolina
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
Kate Martin, Iowa
Cotie, McMahon, Ohio State
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Charisma Obsorne, UCLA
Lucy Olsen, Villanova
Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
Alissa Pili, Utah
Ja’Naiya Quinerly, West Virginia
Angel Reese, LSU
Rachael Rose, Wofford
Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
Jaylyn Sherrod, Colorado
Alyssa Ustby, North Carolina
JuJu Watkins, Southern Cal
