Rhyne Howard breaks ankles en route to 25-point performance in season opener
At Kentucky, Rhyne Howard was about as dominant as it gets, and being the lone former ‘Cat in the WNBA, she has continued her reign of terror on the professional stage. Howard shined in her first two seasons in the W, being selected as an All-Star each year while winning Rookie of the Year in 2022.
Last season, Howard averaged 17.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, and shot 35.2% from three-point range — all improvements from her rookie year. The former 3x AP All-American seems to be improving on a game-to-game basis, and that has carried over to her third year in the league.
In the Atlanta Dream’s season opener on Wednesday night, Howard dropped a team-high 25 points on 9-16 (3-7 3PT) shooting to lead her team to a 92-81 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks. She also contributed three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks to her stat line in 30 minutes. She shot 9-16 overall, 3-7 from deep, and 4-5 from the line.
Additionally, Howard broke some ankles along the way. Viewer discretion is advised.
Howard’s 25 points actually are tied for first in all of the WNBA with Arike Ogunbowale of the Dallas Wings. She did it all offensively. Whether it was scoring inside or outside, making open shots, creating shots, setting up others, it didn’t matter.
If the ball went through Howard’s hands, it resulted in a positive outcome.
Those who watched her at Kentucky knew she was elite, but her run in the WNBA thus far has shown the rest of the world just how electrifying she is on the court.
It may not be too long before Howard can add “WNBA Most Valuable Player” to her resume, especially if she can keep these types of performances up.
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