Former Kentucky stars Leah Edmond, Rhyne Howard still connected in Atlanta

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Despite being years removed from their time in Lexington, Rhyne Howard and Leah Edmond, two former superstar athletes at Kentucky, found a way to stay connected: through their respective professional sports in Atlanta, GA.

Howard, the Kentucky Women’s Basketball alum, made waves as a ‘Cat and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft to the Atlanta Dream. At Kentucky, she averaged 20.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game across four seasons. Howard also marked 334 assists and led her team in the stat her junior and senior seasons.

Now, the former Wildcat has turned to the Florida Gators as an assistant coach and director of player personnel. On Wednesday, the point guard played the opener for her third season on the Dream. In the team’s win against the Los Angeles Sparks, Howard added a team-high 25 points, three rebounds, and three assists. The former ‘Cat added two steals and two blocks.

As for Edmond, the outside hitter played for the ‘Cats from 2016-2019. With 1,978 career kills, she earned herself the title of Kentucky’s all-time kills record holder. Edmond led her team to three consecutive SEC Championships.

In 2021, Edmond played for Valencianas de Juncos (Puerto Rico) to begin her professional career before moving to Athletes Unlimited later that year until 2023. Now, the former college athlete plays on the Pro Volleyball Federation’s Atlanta Vibe. In her debut season, Edmond has accrued 381 kills and counting, leading up to the PVF Semifinals this past Wednesday. While the Vibe fell 2-3 to the Grand Rapids Rise, Edmond contributed 15 points on 13 kills and two service aces.

Howard’s team, the Atlanta Dream, made sure to wish the Vibe good luck in their upcoming semifinal game on Twitter. The team tweeted a graphic featuring solely Howard and Edmond, further confirming the fact that Big Blue Blood runs deep.