Mock draft roundup: Where will Rhyne Howard go in the WNBA Draft?
In just a few days, Rhyne Howard will realize her dream of becoming a professional basketball player.
After a star-studded four-year career at Kentucky filled with accolades and memorable performances, Howard’s college career came to an end March 19 with a first-round NCAA Tournament loss.
Now, after saying goodbye to Kentucky with a touching social media statement, Howard is on the doorstep of beginning the next chapter of her basketball story.
Howard has formally filed for inclusion as a candidate in the 2022 WNBA Draft, which will be held at 7 p.m. on April 11 in New York City and broadcast live on ESPN.
The WNBA Draft will be an in-person event for the first time since 2019.
With less than two weeks to go until the draft, here’s a look at where Howard is projected to be selected and with which teams she could begin her WNBA career.
WNBA Draft format and history
The WNBA Draft features 12 picks in the first round.
Howard is expected to be taken with one of the first picks of the draft.
The 2022 WNBA Draft first-round selection order is: Atlanta Dream (1), Indiana Fever (2), Washington Mystics (3), Fever (4), New York Liberty (5), Fever (6), Dallas Wings (7), Minnesota Lynx (8), Los Angeles Sparks (9), Fever (10), Las Vegas Aces (11) and Connecticut Sun (12).
The highest WNBA Draft selection to ever come from Kentucky was Evelyn Akhator, who was drafted third overall in 2017.
Howard will probably take that title from Akhator.
Rhyne Howard draft projections
Several major outlets focused on women’s basketball coverage have projected Howard to be taken with the first overall pick in the draft and head to Washington.
Some of these projections occurred after the Southeastern Conference Tournament, which Kentucky won for the first time since 1982, but before the NCAA Tournament.
Bleacher Report’s Jackie Powell, Winsidr’s Adam Miller and Her Hoops Stats’ Gabe Ibrahim all projected Howard to be taken with the first pick.
“The Washington Mystics appear to be clearing their roster for Howard. They waived sharpshooting guard/wing Sydney Wiese … opening up cap space and a glaring need at small forward to back up the more defensively minded Alysha Clark,” Powell wrote.
ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel remains an outlier from the group, projecting Baylor forward NaLyssa Smith to be taken first overall by Washington.
“Howard’s basketball gifts are undeniable, but she and Kentucky never made it past the NCAA second round,” Voepel said. “Will she flourish more as a pro player? She will have to prove her motor in the pro game, but her talent is not in doubt.”
Voepel has Howard being selected with the second overall pick by Indiana, which would give Kentucky fans a better chance to watch Howard play in the WNBA.
The Fever’s home arena — Gainbridge Fieldhouse — is a three-hour drive from Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, where Howard played most of her college games.
After Kentucky’s season-ending loss to Princeton in the NCAA Tournament, UK head coach Kyra Elzy offered a final piece of advice to WNBA teams about Howard as a draft prospect.
“Whoever is smart enough to draft her, they are going to have a talent and she is going to make people better,” Elzy said. “She’s competitive. Her basketball IQ is unbelievable. But it’s her versatility at the next level. She’s a 6-2 guard with a great frame. She can play multiple positions and I think in time she will be the face of the WNBA.”
This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 6:30 AM.
