Reviewing Rhyne Howard's historic rookie season
Referring to Rhyne Howard’s WNBA rookie season as anything less than legendary is a mistake.
After losing to the New York Liberty on August 14, Howard’s debut campaign officially came to a close. In 34 games played for the Atlanta Dream, the 2022 No. 1 WNBA Draft pick averaged 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. These figures are even more impressive upon deeper inspection. Let’s dive into the Kentucky legend’s jaw-dropping statistics.
A wild statline
Howard’s 16.2 points per game were the 12th-most in the league. Howard’s offensive success was largely due to her impressive 3-point scoring. The 6-foot-2 sharpshooter drained 2.5 buckets from deep per game, the fourth-most in the league. Moreover, Howard shot a respectable 34.3% from beyond the arc.
Howard’s shooting was more than great, it was historic. Howard broke Tamika Catchings’ record for most 3-pointers made in a rookie season. The record had stood for over 20 years and Howard nearly beat it by double digits.
Ridiculously, Howard’s defense may be better than her offense. The former Kentucky All-American recorded the fifth most steals in the league this season. Further, listed as a shooting guard, Howard ranked top 25 in blocks per game this season.
Pile up the trophies
Howard’s accolades didn’t go unnoticed. She pulled in all four WNBA Rookie of the Month awards. To top it off, Howard was crowned the 2022 Associated Press WNBA Rookie of the Year just days after the regular season ended. In fairness, I don’t think there was much to consider. She’ll likely be tabbed Rookie of the Year by the league in the near future.
Additionally, Howard was named a 2022 WNBA All Star and invited to participate in the 3-point contest. Obviously, she wasn’t only spectacular in comparison to rookies, either. The Tennessee native won Eastern Conference Player of the Week after her first week with the Dream.
The Rhyne Howard social media storm
More than WNBA insiders, coaches or even teammates, fans took notice of Howard’s monumental rookie season. After nearly every Dream game, fans had a new Howard feat to discuss. Here were some of our favorite tweets of the season about the former Wildcat.
Howard put the league on notice this year and the BBN couldn’t be prouder.
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