Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard goes No. 1 overall in WNBA Draft
On the night she officially became a professional basketball player, Rhyne Howard created a final moment of Kentucky basketball history.
Howard was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream on Monday night, making her the first Kentucky player to ever be taken with the first pick in a WNBA Draft.
Monday night’s WNBA Draft was broadcast live on ESPN and held at Spring Studios in New York City, the first time the draft was conducted in-person since 2019.
The previous highest pick from Kentucky was Evelyn Akhator, who was drafted third overall in 2017.
Howard is the seventh player in UK program history to be selected in the WNBA Draft, and the first draft selection from Kentucky since Akhator and Makayla Epps were both selected in 2017.
Howard, Akhator, A’dia Mathies and Victoria Dunlap are the only first-round WNBA Draft picks in Kentucky program history.
Kentucky is now the 16th different school to produce a No. 1 WNBA Draft selection.
Howard’s four-year career at Kentucky saw her obtain a lengthy list of accolades, as well as the 2022 Southeastern Conference Tournament championship with the Wildcats.
She closed her Kentucky career as the program’s second all-time leading scorer (2,290 points), and as only the third player in program history to record a triple-double (Makayla Epps and Leslie Nichols are the others).
Howard is the fourth basketball player in Kentucky history to be selected first overall in an NBA or WNBA Draft.
John Wall (2010), Anthony Davis (2012) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2015) have all been selected first overall in the NBA Draft.
Dream hopes Howard will bring ‘fresh energy’
Last week, prior to the WNBA Draft, several WNBA analysts, coaches and executives spoke to media members on a conference call.
Among these was Dan Padover, the new general manager of the Atlanta Dream.
Atlanta completed a trade with the Washington Mystics last week for the first overall pick, a move that came with the anticipation that Howard would be selected by the Dream with that top pick.
Padover said that with the top pick, the Dream were looking for a player that could bring fresh energy to the franchise while also embracing the city of Atlanta.
That player is Howard.
“We’re in a rebuild right now and we’re also looking to add pieces that can be with us for a long time,” Padover said. “Our hope is this person comes in with fresh energy and sparks something underneath our franchise which we need right now.”
What was Padover’s assessment of Howard’s college career at Kentucky?
“(Howard) led a program with not a ton of help around her for a lot of those four years and had a lot of responsibility on her back on the offensive end,” Padover said. “So it’ll be interesting to see what she’s like around the pro level with teammates that have her skill. But I think the ceiling for her is very high.”
The Dream are a team in desperate need of the scoring ability and star power that Howard possesses.
Atlanta went 8-24 last season and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2018.
The upcoming season will be the first for new head coach Tanisha Wright and Padover is also about to undertake his first season as the team’s general manager.
In a statement after Howard’s selection, Padover called Howard “a versatile wing who can score the ball in a variety of ways,”
“Her athleticism and basketball IQ will be the backbone of her future success in this league,” Padover said. “She’s a great kid from nearby and we think she will be a key piece for the future of this basketball team.”
Also in a statement, Wright said Howard is “a special talent with a multi-faceted skillset.”
“She’s going to be a great addition to our team,” Wright said. “She has a quiet competitiveness that I love, and I think the level of play in our league will bring something special out of her, which I’m really excited to see.”
Howard becomes the second player ever taken by the Dream with the No. 1 overall pick.
The other?
Angel McCoughtry, a WNBA legend who helped the Dream to three WNBA Finals appearances from 2010 to 2013.
In a story published Sunday by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Howard’s mother, Rhvonja “RJ” Avery, said Howard will “be expected to provide leadership right away in Atlanta.”
Currently, the Dream’s roster features three other players that played in the Southeastern Conference: Khaalia Hillsman and N’dea Jones (Texas A&M) and Maya Caldwell (Georgia).
Howard’s pro basketball career is now in its infant stages, but back in March her former college head coach, Kyra Elzy, had high expectations for what will become of Howard’s time in the WNBA.
“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.”
Elzy was with Howard for Monday night’s draft in New York City.
Other WNBA Draftees with Kentucky ties
With the No. 4 overall pick in the draft in the first round, the Indiana Fever selected Louisville forward Emily Engstler.
With the No. 16 overall pick in the draft in the second round, the Los Angeles Sparks selected Louisville guard Kianna Smith.
This story was originally published April 11, 2022 at 7:13 PM.
