When Angel Reese spoke to the media after her first training camp experience with the Dream, she gushed about how much space she had with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray starting next to her. Depending on Brionna Jones’s availability after undergoing knee surgery, the starting lineup may also feature Naz Hillmon, who took a massive leap as a 3-point shooter last season.
Playing with those starters will be great for Reese, but the key is to sustain that same spacing when players like Howard or Gray are on the bench. The key to that could very well be Te-Hina Paopao, who has very much flown under the radar with the excitement around Reese’s addition and the return of all five starters from last season.
Despite being a second-round pick, Paopao played her way into Karl Smesko’s rotation as a rookie. Her 3-point shooting was a big reason for that. She shot 38.6% on 3.1 attempts per game—the most efficient clip on the roster. For a while, she even led the league in 3-point percentage.
Having a 3-point shooter like that coming off the bench will allow Reese to find success with a ton of different lineups, not just with the starters.
The expectations for Paopao are high
Paopao impressed with her 3-point shooting last season, but she also took strides defensively and showed flashes as a passer. With a full WNBA season, including 15 starts in Jordin Canada’s absence, Paopao should be able to be even more productive in her second season.
Smesko certainly thinks so.
“We’re expecting big things from her this year,” Smesko said during training camp. “She’s come in early to get extra work in. She’s doing everything that she’s supposed to do to get better.”
With Maya Caldwell going to the Portland Fire in the expansion draft, Paopao could be in for a bigger role than last season as well, but the Dream also brought in Isobel Borlase, an exciting young guard who just led the WNBL in scoring.
Reese should thrive with that much spacing around her
The Sky never managed to create a lot of space for Reese or give her much help offensively. The Dream can create so much space that Reese can do whatever she wants in the paint—which should help her improve her efficiency around the rim.
More importantly, Reese won’t have to do everything. If she doesn’t have a good look around the rim, she doesn’t have to force the shot. She can just pass it out to Howard, Gray, Paopao, or Hillmon.
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