‘A dream come true.’ Kentucky’s Howard discusses WNBA goals for first year in Atlanta.
Just seconds after she realized one of her basketball dreams, Rhyne Howard shook and spoke on national television, trying to communicate a situation of significant magnitude.
The former Kentucky women’s basketball player had just made history for her school one final time, becoming the first UK basketball player to ever be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft.
Howard was taken with the top pick during Monday night’s draft — held in-person in New York City — by the Atlanta Dream, a team located just 120 miles from where Howard went to high school in Cleveland, Tennessee.
But as ESPN reporter Holly Rowe asked Howard about what the moment was like, Howard could hardly put it into words.
“I’m shaking right now. A sigh of relief, this is a dream come true and I’m glad … it’s real,” Howard told Rowe.
A few minutes later during her post-draft press conference with more media members, Howard still said she was shaking from the emotion of being taken with the top pick.
“I don’t even have words for it right now. Still kind of shaking, but it was super exciting,” Howard said. “I’m proud of what I’ve done, proud of myself and thankful for everyone that’s been on this journey with me and helped me to get here.”
Howard — the second all-time leading scorer in UK basketball history — will be joining an Atlanta Dream team in need of her scoring and star power.
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 Dan Padover is also about to undertake his first season as the team’s general manager.
In statements released following Howard’s selection, both Wright and Padover praised their new player.
“Rhyne is a special talent with a multi-faceted skill set,” 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.”
“Rhyne is a versatile wing who can score the ball in a variety of ways,” Padover said, echoing similar comments he made last week prior to the draft. “Her athleticism and basketball IQ will be the backbone of her future success in this league. She’s a great kid from nearby and we think she will be a key piece for the future of this basketball team.”
What were those pre-draft conversations like between Howard and representatives from the Dream?
“They were just asking me simple questions like, ‘How do I lead?’ or ‘How do I compete? (They) asked me, ‘Could I step up to the challenge and work hard every day, whether it’s practice or games?’” Howard said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I believe in myself and I believe I can.’ I was just proving to them why I believe I’m the right fit for them.”
Given that, how will Howard measure success during her rookie season 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.
Kentucky head coach Kyra Elzy joined several members of Howard’s family — including Howard’s mother, Rhvonja “RJ” Avery — at the draft in New York City.
Howard honors Terrence Clarke on draft night
As part of Howard’s draft-night outfit, she wore a lapel pin honoring former Kentucky men’s basketball player Terrence Clarke.
Clarke played one season at Kentucky from 2020 to 2021 and was a top-rated NBA Draft prospect before dying in a car crash in April 2021.
Howard and Clarke became close friends during the time they overlapped at Kentucky, and Howard’s Twitter page features the hashtag “#LLTC5” in his honor.
“That was like my little brother, as soon as he stepped on campus we instantly clicked and ever since then we were inseparable,” Howard told Rowe about her relationship with Clarke. “Just us coming in (and) me being able to help him and just get him through his college years.”
