Not so long ago, the 3×3 Team USA was hit with a couple of unfortunate updates. First was Cameron Brink tearing her ACL and being out for the entire season. This meant bringing in another player that met the eligibility criteria. The committee quickly sought the services of the Sparks rookie’s teammate Dearica Hamby. But only a few hours later, Rhyne Howard too twisted her ankle and didn’t return for the next few games. Fortunately, the Atlanta Dream guard has nursed herself back to health.

As the 24-year-old flies off to Paris to win gold in the 3×3 event, many wish to know how this WNBA star came to be in the position that she is. And what better way to find that out than her stats and journey so far?

Rhyne Howard’s life before the WNBA

Born on April 29, 2000, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the 6-ft-2 guard comes from an athletic family. Her mother Rhvonja “RJ” Avery played for the University of Florida. Hence, giving her the basketball genes that made her the first overall pick in 2022. Her father is James Howard. The University of Kentucky alumna is in the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, where she initiated her studies through the Iota Mu chapter of the U of K.

Before becoming a Wildcat, Rhyne Howard had already swept away the 2018 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior in Bradley Central, Cleveland. She was also named the Tennessee Miss Basketball in the same year. Later, in 2018, the Tennessee native began her international career.

She played FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in 2018 and led her team to a gold medal. Consequently, she also earned the MVP award in the same. Following this, she got into the UK and received the National Freshman of the Year award. After that, she played in two more FIBA competitions and won gold in each.

The talented basketball player led the Wildcats to three NCAA Tournaments but could not make it further than the first round. Nevertheless, she became 2x SEC Player of the Year. As a senior under Kyra Elzy, Kentucky also won the conference tournament.

In her four years at Lexington, Rhyne Howard played 114 games and started all but one. She ended her NCAA career with averages of 20 PPG and 6.9 RPG. In the 2022 WNBA Draft, the Atlanta Dream selected her as the first-overall pick. Interestingly, she was the only player from Kentucky to ever get selected as a first-overall pick.

The perfect match for the Atlanta Dream

While the Dream, along with the WNBPA, was already fighting for African-American people’s rights, Rhyne Howard was not far from the sight. During her time at the University of Kentucky, she organized the Unity Fair and Social Justice March. The aim of this was to increase awareness among peers about various incidents that took place during that time. It also focused on educating people about their rights to vote, demand justice, and more.

As she wore the red jersey for Atlanta, she won the Rookie of the Week for four months straight until July. She became part of a select few to become an All-Star in her rookie season. In her very first playoff appearance, Rhyne Howard made history by scoring 36 points. She became the youngest player at 22 years of age to score 30+ points in her postseason debut. By the end of the season, she averaged 16 points and 4.5 rebounds. The league awarded her the Rookie of the Year award for her exemplary performance.

Next year, she further improved her numbers and added 17.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. She also tried her hands at playmaking and averaged 3.5 assists. This year, she was given the opportunity to represent her country as a part of the 3×3 team for the Paris Olympics. Unfortunately, her career also saw injury scares.

She missed 10 games as she nursed her ankle back to health this season. So far, in the 14 games that she has played, Howard has averaged 15.4 points, 4.9 boards, and 3.4 assists. Her numbers for steals are also impeccable with 2.1 per game. In the Dream’s first game against the Minnesota Lynx, Rhyne Howard had the most steals with a season-high 6. These are the numbers that prove why Rhyne Howard got into the 3×3 Team USA. But there’s more to it than meets the eye.

Rhyne Howard’s journey to her first Olympics

One of the eligibility criteria that the 3×3 team members should meet is experience with the format. A 3×3 game is a more intense format with different rules than the traditional 5×5 format. Moreover, the committee that chooses these players also determines whether they have some international experience as well. Rhyne Howard has represented the USA multiple times.

The former Wildcat also has an apt 3×3 expertise. She led her team to a silver medal back in 2019 in the same format. The championship was Red Bull USA Basketball 3×3 Nationals. Team USA had a 6-2 win-loss record back then. Moreover, Howard scored a whopping 55% of the team’s total by adding 11 points in the Championship game defeat.

Rhyne Howard has already joined peer Dearica Hamby in Paris along with NCAA star Hailey Van Lith of TCU and Cierra Burdick. Just a few more hours and we will have our exciting first 3×3 game at hand.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.