WNBA All-Star, former Kentucky great Rhyne Howard joins Florida coaching staff

Two years into her WNBA career, Rhyne Howard has decided to already join the collegiate coaching ranks. The former Kentucky star is now the newest staffer for Florida Women’s Basketball.

Howard is now Florida’s newest assistant coach and director of player personnel. Her role will span throughout her WNBA offseason.

“It has always been important to me that we surround our student-athletes with people who can help equip them with the skills necessary to succeed as professionals on and off the court,” Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley said in a press release. Rhyne is humble, competitive, thoughtful, and driven… She is living many of our student-athletes dreams. Her knowledge of the game combined with her ability to teach and connect with them on and off the court will elevate our program.”

Don’t worry, Big Blue Nation. This isn’t some obscene act of betrayal. Howard’s mother, RJ Avery, played for the Gators from 1987-91 and served as a team captain in 1990-991. Avery has program records that still hold today.

Howard, a two-time SEC Player of the Year at Kentucky in 2020 and 2021, and was an All-SEC First Team selection by league coaches in all four of her years at UK before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft. During her rookie year, she was named a WNBA All-Star and was named Rookie of the Year by the WNBA and Associated Press.

She finished her second with the Atlanta Dream, averaging 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per contest as their starting point guard.

“When you really think about it everything is full circle, my mom was a Gator herself and I have been on this campus multiple times,” Howard said in the release. “But to actually be able to wear the orange and blue, I know it’s making her proud, I know it’s making everyone who thought I was originally going to be a Florida Gator proud.

“I always knew at some point that I would have the connection back with this school and just to be here and to be loved and to feel how much of a family it is already just confirmed all that.” 

Florida begins its 2023-2024 women’s basketball season against Florida Southern College on Wednesday, Nov. 1. Howard will be making her return to Lexington when her Gators face her alma mater and former head coach Kyra Elzy on Feb. 18.