Ungureanu successfully replaced Luminița Dinu after her retirement. Shortly after taking these positions she became known for a high percentage of saves in games and for managing difficult saves in key points of games. Paula Ungureanu ranked fourth on the Top Goalkeepers list of the 2009 World Women's Handball Championship with a 41% save rate. In the 2014 European Championship, she ranked second after Silje Solberg on the Top Goalkeepers list with a 40% save rate.