The Pauldo Twins from 7th-ranked Morris Catholic (NJ) HS Busy Building their Brand on and off the Court

Nationally-acclaimed twins headed to the University of Tennessee Have Become Social Media Sensations

Feb 14, 2025; Randolph, NJ, USA; Morris Catholic vs. Morristown in the Morris County Tournament girls basketball semifinals at County College of Morris. MC #3 Mia Pauldo celebrates scoring her 2000th point. / Michael Karas / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Led by the dynamic backcourt combination of University of Tennessee-bound twins Mia and Mya Pauldo, the winning continues for the Morris Catholic High School girls basketball team, currently ranked No. 7 in the SI.com Girls Basketball Top 20 Poll.

The explosive and skilled Pauldo twins, or TBC (TwinBackCourt) as they’re known in the girls basketball community, have led the Crusaders to a perfect 20-0 record with two regular season games remaining. Morris Catholic also owns the No. 1 ranking in the nj.com Top 20 Poll, and now own a 26-game winning streak dating back to last season which includes a 52-game winning streak vs. New Jersey teams.

In their time at Denville, NJ-based Morris Catholic HS, the twins, who each stand 5-foot-7, have led the Crusaders to a staggering 101-6 record.

As their talents have grown, their branding, imaging and endorsement opportunities have blossomed. Today, TBC are now a social media sensation with a presence on seemingly every platform imaginable. The twins' instagram account alone boasts nearly 38,000 followers.

We’re not shying away from this great opportunity to bring a NATTY back to Knoxville & Volnation!! 🧡🩵 @LadyVol_Hoops #GBO #RockyTop pic.twitter.com/l4GpAuZtFL

— Mia & Mya J. Pauldo “TBC/TwinBackCourt” (@TwinBackCourt) July 11, 2024

Along with all of the victories, the number of accomplishments, accolades and notoriety the twins have attained have continued to soar. Mia eclipsed the 2,000-point mark for her career during an 85-44 February 14 victory over Morristown in the semifinals of the Morris County Tournament. Mia Pauldo got her “2K,” as she put it, on a three-pointer along the left baseline midway through the second quarter against Morristown with the assist , fittingly, coming from Mya.

“It’s a big accomplishment for me. It’ll go somewhere on my resume,” Pauldo told the Morristown Daily Record, who also has more than 500 assists and 300 steals, as well as nearly 500 rebounds despite being just 5-foot-7

“Even though I’m still passing the ball and we’re still winning, I’m able to be efficient on the court,” Mia continued. “I’m still making shots and getting to the rim. I’m able to hit 2K and not only 1K. Most high school players don’t even get 1K points, so that’s a big accomplishment for me.”

Mia is considered a national top-15 recruit in the nation while Mya is a consensus top-50 recruit. With Mya having more than 1,500 career points to her credit, consider that the twins have combined to score more than 4,000 career points between them.

One week after defeating Morristown in the semifinals, the Crusaders claimed their fourth consecutive Morris County Tournament title with a 52-40 victory over Chatham on February 21, a win that snapped the Cougars’ 20-game winning streak. Later in the season, the Crusaders will go after their straight NJSIAA Non-Public trophy and both sisters are finalists for the Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year award.

On Tuesday, April 1, Mia will be one of three Tennessee recruits who will compete in the McDonald’s All-American Game to be held on Tuesday, April 1 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The drive from Morris Catholic High School is a short 36.3 miles, in the neighborhood of a one-hour trip door-to-door.

A turning point in the Pauldo twins success came several years ago when their parents, Filisha and D.J., had a basketball court built behind their house where they reside in Paterson, NJ, an urban North Jersey suburb of New York City.

In addition to managing their high school studies, practices and games, byproducts of the Pauldo twins’ success include a reported lucrative NIL partnership with Puma, their very own 8-episode reality series on the Overtime Youtube channel titled "No Limits with Mia & Mya," and being the subjects on a host of television and online shows such as the nationally syndicated Sports Stars of Tomorrow, that focuses on successful high school athletes.

In their grade school years, the twins and their three siblings (Mia and Mya are the second and third-oldest children in their family) were exposed to many different things outside of the inner city element in Paterson.

“The basketball court in the backyard is great because I know where my kids and their friends are all the time,” their mother said on The Sports Stars of Tomorrow Segment. “But we got them out of here, went on the road and exposed them to all sorts of things.”

“We played softball, were involved in acting, modeling, dancing, gymnastics, you name it and we did it,” said Mia during the segment.

“We never forced them but as they got older they naturally gravitated towards basketball,” their dad added.

Naturally, a major goal for the twins would be become stars in the WNBA . Once they close the chapter on their high school careers in March, next stop – Knoxville, Tennessee, home of the renowned Lady Vols as the TBC brand will mesh with one of the biggest brands in all of basketball. 

But the twins also have other goals as Mia shared in her biography on the platform On3.com.

 "Our goal is to build a legacy and win championships. We’re also looking to build the women’s game and the girls’ game and we want everyone to be part of that. We want to spread positivity and help younger people gain confidence and believe in themselves and follow their dreams."