Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

WNBA Team Dealt Bad News on Key Player on Saturday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dave Holcomb | Last updated May 24, 2025 6:56 PM ET

The top rookie for the Atlanta Dream averaged 24 minutes per game in the first three contests of her career. But Saturday, she exited after just six minutes.

Dream rookie guard Te-Hina Paopao left with a face injury Saturday during the first quarter against the Dallas Wings. The team's official X account announced she wouldn't return.

"Injury Update: Te-Hina Paopao sustained a face injury in the first quarter and is ruled out for the remainder of the game against the Dallas Wings," read the tweet.

Paopao didn't score before exiting. The guard went 0-for-2, which included a missed 3-pointer. The guard also had one rebound, one assist and a turnover.

Paopao was making her fourth start with the Dream in her rookie season. In her first three games, she averaged seven points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

The guard's best statistical performance of her young WNBA career happened Thursday when she tallied 11 points behind three 3-pointers versus the Indiana Fever. Paopao also had three assists and two rebounds in that game.

Injury Update: Te-Hina Paopao sustained a face injury in the first quarter and is ruled out for the remainder of the game against the Dallas Wings.
— Atlanta Dream PR (@ATLDreamPR) May 24, 2025

The Dream drafted Paopao at No. 18 overall in the second round of the 2025 WNBA Draft. Atlanta didn't have a first-round selection, so Paopao was the team's first pick this year.

Without Paopao for much of Saturday's game, guards Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Maya Caldwell came off the bench for the Dream to play significant minutes.

Paopao won't have a lot of time to recover if she isn't going to miss any further action. The Dream will host the Connecticut Sun on Sunday afternoon.

The Dream will then have a west coast road trip next week, as they visit the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: