{"id":819039,"date":"2024-10-21T17:33:19","date_gmt":"2024-10-21T21:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?p=819039"},"modified":"2024-10-21T17:33:21","modified_gmt":"2024-10-21T21:33:21","slug":"mya-mia-pauldo-twins-slam-252","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/college-hs\/mya-mia-pauldo-twins-slam-252\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Good: Twins Mya and Mia Pauldo Are Ready to Make History as the Next Generation of Tennessee’s Backcourt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This story appears in SLAM 252. Get your copy now.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twin, where have you been? The Pauldo twins are breaking new ground as they become everyone\u2019s favorite duo on and off the court. New Jersey\u2019s very own Mia and Mya Pauldo have made a name for themselves nationwide, holding two spots in the top-50 rankings for the Class of 2025 and both committing to carry on the Lady Vols\u2019 legacy starting next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As one of the toughest backcourts in the country, Mia\u2019s playmaking skills and Mya\u2019s command of the floor showcase their grit and determination. Together, they\u2019ve etched their names in New Jersey hoop history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Playing together is like \u201chaving two killers with you, because we\u2019re both tough,\u201d Mia says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s my best friend,\u201d says Mya. \u201cWe do everything together, tell each other everything. Our bond is so close, and that translates to the court.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Winning has always been a top priority for the twins, whether it\u2019s state championships, Player of the Year awards or any game they compete in. While All-Star Games might split them up, their focus remains clear: to play hard for the name on the back of their jerseys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want to see each other shine,\u201d Mia says. \u201cThat\u2019s my mindset. I\u2019m cheering for her even if she\u2019s on the other team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minutes before the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 6, the twins were asked to send messages to each other. Almost in unison, they encouraged each other to \u201chandle business and get the dub.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SLAM Summer Classic was a key goal for their senior year, with the hopes of also being invited to the McDonald\u2019s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic next spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their sisterhood will extend to Tennessee next season, and hopefully the WNBA beyond that. What truly stood out during our time with the twins was their composure and affection for each other, but also their commitment to giving back to their family and community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have to keep going,\u201d Mya says. \u201cKeep hustling, because we\u2019re doing something right. We need to continue because people are watching us and looking up to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou always have to hold yourself to a higher standard and be respectful, knowing everyone is watching,\u201d Mya adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With eyes on the sisters, how will they continue to build on their legacy? Young Mia and Mya initially set their sights on playing overseas, but now, with the WNBA closer than ever, their goal has evolved to make history as the first twins to play in the League simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want to grow the game in this country,\u201d Mya says. \u201cWe want more teams, better pay and more eyes set on women\u2019s basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being the first wouldn\u2019t come as a shock. \u201cThat\u2019s our life; we\u2019re trendsetters,\u201d Mia says. \u201cWe want to be the first to do it in our era.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked what message they\u2019d give their future selves as they look back on SLAM 252, Mia replies, \u201cAlways be inspired by something.\u201d Mya adds, \u201cTake a moment to learn something new every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What more could one ask for than having your twin by your side to inspire and learn from every day?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Portraits by Marcus Stevens. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This story appears in SLAM 252. Get your copy now. Twin, where have you been? The Pauldo twins are breaking new ground as they become everyone\u2019s favorite duo on and off the court. New Jersey\u2019s very own Mia and Mya Pauldo have made a name for themselves nationwide, holding two spots in the top-50 rankings […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":515,"featured_media":819041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[65278,49436,64136],"tags":[12992,65284,65285,65276,64927,1305,8640,63726],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-819039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-252-the-magazine","category-college-hs","category-wslam","tag-high-school","tag-mia-pauldo","tag-mya-pauldo","tag-slam-252","tag-slam-hs","tag-tennessee-volunteers","tag-university-of-tennessee","tag-wslam"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/515"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=819039"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819039\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":820421,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819039\/revisions\/820421"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/819041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=819039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=819039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=819039"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=819039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}