Former Kentucky star earns another accolade after standout rookie season in WNBA
Rhyne Howard’s rookie season in the WNBA lived up to the hype.
After becoming the first Kentucky women’s basketball alumna to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft in April, Howard had a standout debut season with the Atlanta Dream.
Now, she’s being honored for it.
Howard — who was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year by The Associated Press earlier this month — earned Rookie of the Year honors from the WNBA on Thursday afternoon, giving her a clean sweep of the most sought-after awards for rookies in the league.
Howard received 53 of 56 possible votes for WNBA Rookie of the Year, which is voted on by a national panel of 56 sportswriters and broadcasters.
She had per-game averages of 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.59 steals during the 2022 season, during which Howard started and played in 34 of a possible 36 games.
Howard led all WNBA rookies in points, assists, steals and minutes per game this season.
Adding to Howard’s standout season was her remarkable three-point shooting. She set a single-season record by a WNBA rookie by making 85 three-pointers.
Howard — who was the lone rookie selected as a 2022 WNBA All-Star — is the second player from the Atlanta Dream to win WNBA Rookie of the Year honors, along with former University of Louisville standout Angel McCoughtry (2009).
Howard also becomes the first former UK women’s basketball player to earn the honor.
The night she was drafted No. 1 overall by Atlanta, Howard was asked what constituted a successful first season for her in the WNBA.
“A goal is really Rookie of the Year, but I want to be part of a winning team. That’s the end goal,” Howard said.
The Dream went 14-22 this season, missing out on the playoffs by two games.
This represented a six-win increase for the Dream compared to the 2021 season, with four more games played.
Earlier this month, Howard was selected as one of 11 players to be part of the 2022 USA Basketball National Training Camp, which will take place in September in Las Vegas.
