Rhyne Howard has a great chance to make 2022 WNBA All-Star Game

Rhyne Howard wasn’t among the 10 starters named to the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game on Wednesday, but she’s in an excellent position to secure one of the remaining 12 reserve spots.

The Atlanta Dream rookie finished with the ninth-best weighted voting score among all WNBA guards, coming in ninth in the fan rank, sixth in the media rank, and ninth in the player rank. Fan voting accounted for 50 percent of the overall vote while the media and players accounted for 25 percent each.

The league’s head coaches are set to decide the final 12 reserves, which will be announced on Tuesday, June 28. The All-Star Game is set for Sunday, July 10 at noon EST in Chicago.

If we’re going off the above results, Howard should make the final roster, although it will be up to the coaches in the end. But looking at the weighted scores, the former Kentucky Wildcat posted a figure of 8.25, which is fifth-best among the non-starters. Considering there are 12 spots available, Howard should comfortably snag one of them and make the cut as a first-year player.

She’s been more than deserving, too. Through 16 games for the Dream (8-8), Howard is averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 39.2 percent from the floor, 38.6 percent from deep on 7.1 attempts, and 72.3 percent from the free-throw line. She hit a bit of a lull in late May but has recovered well in June, dropping 25 points, 14, 16, and 16 over her last four contests, respectively.

Additionally, Howard has already locked up a spot overseas once the WNBA season comes to a close a come. Earlier this week, it was announced that she will sign with Famila Wuber Schio, an Italian women’s basketball team that plays in Italy’s Serie A and the EuroLeague.

2022 WNBA All-Star starters

Guards

Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces) 1st selection
Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces) 1st selection
Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) 1st selection
Sue Bird (Seattle Storm) 13th selection

Forwards

A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) 4th selection
Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm) 4th selection
Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx) 8th selection
Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks) 7th selection
Jonquel Jones (Connecticut Sun) 4th selection
Candace Parker (Chicago Sky) 7th selection