Rhyne Howard makes more history as Atlanta Dream wrap up record-setting regular season

The Atlanta Dream just wrapped up the best regular season in franchise history — and former Kentucky women’s basketball guard Rhyne Howard was a major reason why.

On Wednesday night, Howard and the Dream went into Connecticut and dominated the Sun to the tune of an 88-72 finish. Howard finished with a respectable 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals while shooting 6-11 from the field and 3-7 from long range. It marked the final game of the regular season for Atlanta, pushing them to a franchise-record 30 wins (capped off by six straight victories) and a second-place spot in the WNBA standings.

Howard, who was tabbed the WNBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week earlier this month, also made some history of her own in the process. With her trio of made threes against the Sun, the three-time All-Star finished the regular season with 102 makes from deep. She became the first player in franchise history to reach the 100 three-pointers made benchmark in a single season and just the ninth ever in league history. Howard now owns four of the five spots on Atlanta’s most made threes in a season list: 103 in 2025 (1st), 99 in 2023 (2nd), 85 in 2022 (4th), and 80 in 2024 (5th).

Despite having to overcome a minor injury during the middle of the season, Howard played arguably her best stretch yet as a pro in year four. The former 2022 No. 1 overall pick appeared in 33 games this season, posting per-game averages of 17.5 points, a career-high 4.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals. Her 34.9 minutes per game also ranked as a career-best.

And although Howard’s shooting splits (37.6/32.2/85.6) still leave something to be desired for someone who soaks up as many shots as her, she finally has a talented enough supporting cast around her that has only helped elevate her level of play. Allisha Gray, who made her third straight All-Star Game this year, has turned into the ideal backcourt running mate next to Howard. Impact players Jordin Canada, Brionna Jones, Naz Hillmon, and Brittney Griner round out a productive first six in the rotation for first-year head coach Karl Smesko.

Thursday’s schedule of games will officially wrap up the regular season. Howard and the Dream won’t know their final seeding and first-round playoff matchup until the night is over. If the Las Vegas Aces, currently in third with a 29-14 record and winners of 15 straight, beat the Los Angeles Sparks, they will take control of the two-seed and bump Atlanta to the three-seed. A loss for the Aces would keep the Dream as the two-seed.

With Howard leading the charge, Atlanta is in the midst of its best season ever. Can she lead them to a WNBA Finals championship?