HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: MAR 28 McDonald's All American Girls Portraits - Source: Getty

Tennessee signee Mia Pauldo shares reaction as she poses with Angel Reese ahead of the McDonald’s All-American game

Modified Apr 02, 2025 13:48 GMT

Five-star point guard Mia Pauldo has shared her reaction to a snap of her and Chicago Sky star Angel Reese. The picture, taken before the McDonald's All-American game on Tuesday, was shared on Instagram by Dave's Joint along with several others from the evening. Pauldo reposted the carousel on her story and reacted with a fire emoji.

The five-star point guard from Morris Catholic High School in New Jersey featured in the McDonald’s All-American game for the East girls’ team. The Tennessee signee contributed to the East team’s efforts to stage a comeback after falling 18 points behind the West team in the first quarter.

She found the basket late in the first half, leading the East team’s attack going into the third quarter. She had six assists by the end of the third quarter.

Despite their best efforts, the East team lost 104-82. They had the support of the local crowd at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Therefore, a win for the East team could have meant a win on their home turf. Players like Pauldo had supporters from her hometown of Paterson in nearby New Jersey. She acknowledged their support, saying,

“This means everything to me. My Paterson people are coming to support me, because that’s where I’m born and raised. Most people think I’m from Denville, New Jersey. But that’s just the high school I go to. My hood is Paterson, New Jersey, and that’s where most of my support comes from.”

The recruiting journey of Mia Pauldo and her twin sister Mya

Mia Pauldo and her twin sister Mya announced their commitment to the Tennessee Volunteers in November. It was clear throughout the recruiting process that they prioritized playing together. Mia reiterated it in an interview with On3, where she said,

“We want to do everything together. Our journey will always be together.”

The twins had a top-four list of schools: Illinois, Texas Tech, Penn State and Tennessee. However, largely due to the efforts of Tennessee assistant coach Gabe Lazo, they chose the Vols.

Mia discussed their relationship with Lazo.

“We trust him so much. He’s a great guy and he put his trust in us. We were the first 2025 recruits that they really put their all into. We’re going to be the ones to set the tone.”

Mia Pauldo is the No. 4 point guard in the 2025 class, per the On3 Industry Ranking.

About the author

Kayode is a College and High School Sports writer at Sportskeeda since June 2023. Hailing from Nigeria, he has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics and African Languages, and has previously had stints as an entertainment and politics writer for around 7 months. Adept at creating content around historical perspectives, he strives to report stories based only on verified information. His mantra is - truth is always more important than sensationalism.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Kayode admires how Nick Saban developed talent at the team and delivered consistent results, and hopes that the post-Saban era is just as fruitful. He is thoroughly impressed by Johnny Manziel’s talent, and feels that Shedeur Sanders is massively underrated. Nick Saban is his all-time favorite college coach.

While Kayode believes there is little to separate college and mainstream sports, pro leagues absorbing the best athletes leads to their quality being higher. Witnessing the Colorado Buffaloes’ hot streak at start the 2023 football season was one of his all-time favorite college sports moments.

When not writing, Kayode enjoys reading and watching sports documentaries. His most recent watch was "Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In."

Know More