Rhyne Howard is the WNBA Rookie of the Year – not that it is a surprise to anyone.
The honor was merely a formality after the guard’s outstanding first season with the Dream. The WNBA made the announcement Thursday.
Howard, the No. 1 overall pick out of Kentucky, was named the league’s Rookie of the Month four straight times – in May, June, July and August. She was also named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week in May and was named to the WNBA All-Star Game. You can’t argue with those credentials.
Howard played in 34 games in leading the Dream to a 14-22 record and just short of the playoffs. She averaged 16.2 points (11th overall in the league), 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals. Howard also set the rookie record with 85 3-pointers in a first season.
Howard was selected as the WNBA Rookie of the Year by The Associated Press last week. She is the second player to win the award with the Dream, joining Angel McCoughtry (2009).
The Dream traded up to the top spot in the 2022 WNBA draft to select Howard, a three-time first-team All-American and two-time SEC Player of the Year at Kentucky.
Joining Howard on the All-Rookie team were Washington’s Shakira Austin, Indiana’s Queen Egbo, Chicago’s Rebekah Gardner and Indiana’s NaLyssa Smith.
Howard received 53 votes from a national panel of 56 sportswriters and broadcasters. Austin received two votes and Smith received one vote.
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