Rhyne Howard ranked as Top 25 WNBA player ahead of second season

Rhyne Howard is coming off a rookie season in the WNBA that saw her win Rookie of the Year and make the All-Star Team. She didn’t slow down in the offseason, traveling overseas where she helped her Italian franchise win multiple championships as one of the team’s leading scorers.

And the former Kentucky Wildcats still isn’t slowing down as she looks to begin her second WNBA season this weekend. Howard and the Atlanta Dream begin their 2023 season on Saturday, May 20 with a 1:00 p.m. EST tip-time against the Dallas Wings on ABC.

Atlanta got the 2022 season off to a surprisingly good start, but ultimately finished 14-22 and missed the postseason. The Dream front office added plenty of talent in the offseason though, selecting Stanford’s Haley Jones and South Carolina’s Laeticia Amihere with the No. 6 and No. 8 picks, respectively, in the most recent draft. Atlanta also went out and traded for Allisha Gray, who averaged 13.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game last season.

But Howard, 23, is the face of the franchise and will be for as long as she’s on the roster. Ahead of the beginning of her second WNBA season, the 6-foot-2 guard is being recognized for everything she’s accomplished over the last 12 months.

For starters, Howard was tabbed as a Top 25 player ahead of the 2023 WNBA season by the folks over at ESPN, which ranked her No. 23 in the league — one spot ahead of 40-year-old Diana Taurasi, who many consider to be the best women’s basketball player of all time.

The 2022 No. 1 overall pick established herself as a star in the league from the first week of her rookie year, catapulting the Dream to within striking distance of a playoff spot and earning an All-Star bid in the process. With her first pro season and an overseas stint under her belt, the reigning Rookie of the Year will look to show off new dimensions to her game. One thing that wasn’t an issue last summer? Howard set a league record for most 3s during a rookie season.

Alexa Philippou, ESPN

Then, on Friday morning, Howard donned the front cover of the popular basketball magazine, SLAM.

In an interview with the publication titled “Atlanta Dream’s Rhyne Howard is Going to be a Nightmare in the WNBA“, she talks about her relationship with her late close friend Terrence Clarke, why she’s always blowing bubble gum bubbles, how she’ll improve in year two, and much, much more. It’s 100 percent worth a read and a great way to gear up for Howard’s sophomore WNBA season.

Ain't this what they've been waitin' for? @howard_rhyne

Rhyne Howard covers SLAM 244. https://t.co/wM0VuHm9zc pic.twitter.com/aC7pSKtr1r

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 19, 2023

Not a bad week for Howard, eh? Make sure to check her out in action on ABC on Saturday afternoon.