AP Recap

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) — <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://x.com/WNBA/status/1968854362991521946" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">Aliyah Boston made the go-ahead basket</a> with 7.4 seconds left, Lexie Hull <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://x.com/IndianaFever/status/1968856460894351811" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">stole the ensuing inbounds pass</a> and the Indiana Fever beat the No. 3-seeded Atlanta Dream 87-85 on Thursday night to advance to the WNBA semifinals.
Despite missing Caitlin Clark among its injured players, Indiana closed on a 7-0 run to win a playoff series for the first time since 2015. The sixth-seeded Fever will play on Sunday against the winner of Thursday’s other Game 3 between Seattle and Las Vegas.
Boston was left alone under the basket for an easy layup after Brionna Jones went to the ground going for a loose ball. It gave Indiana an 86-85 lead, its first since it was 33-30 in the second quarter.
Rhyne Howard twice had trouble inbounding the ball in the final seconds, with Hull coming from behind to poke it away from Jones. Indiana got it to Odyssey Sims, who went 1 of 2 at the free-throw line to give Atlanta another shot with 1.2 left. Jones’ off-balance 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.
Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 24 points and Boston had 14 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Sims had 16 points and eight assists, and Natasha Howard added 12 points.
Allisha Gray had 19 points and 12 rebounds for her first playoff double-double to lead Atlanta. Jordin Canada also had a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. Rhyne Howard scored 16 points and Jones had 12.
Atlanta, which was held to 60 points in a 17-point loss in Game 2 on Tuesday, reached 60 points with 6:09 left in the third quarter.
Shey Peddy made a 3-pointer with 6:06 remaining in the fourth to pull Indiana within 80-78. Neither team scored again until the 3:21 mark on Brianna Turner’s putback to tie it at 80-all.
Atlanta has not won a playoff series since 2016.

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2025-playoffs-fever-dream-game-3-recap

Game Recap: Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream (First Round, Game 3)

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Rhyne Howard with 16 Points vs. Indiana Fever

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kelsey Mitchell scored 19 points and made four 3-pointers while Aliyah Boston added 15 points to lead the Indiana Fever past third-seeded Atlanta Dream 77-60 on Tuesday night <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/fever-dream-score-6a664d6cab4085f57ca52f816867bcbd" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">to extend their best-of-three series.</a>
Game 3 will be Thursday in Atlanta, which hasn’t won a playoff series since 2016. Indiana’s last series win came in 2015.
Natasha Howard added 12 points and five rebounds. Mitchell also had four assists and Boston finished with five rebounds and three assists.
Te-Hina Paopao scored 11 points off the bench to lead the Dream, and Rhyne Howard added 10. The Dream fell 25 points short of their regular-season per game average. Allisha Gray added nine points and seven rebounds despite playing through foul trouble and clashing briefly with two fans in the front row midway through the fourth quarter. Both fans were escorted out of the arena by security.
The Fever hosted their first playoff game since 2016 and fed off the energy of another sellout crowd to earn their first postseason win since Oct. 11, 2015, when they beat the Minnesota Lynx 75-69.
It was a stark turnaround from Game 1.
As both teams battled serious foul trouble, Atlanta couldn’t get the stops it needed — and the Fever took full advantage with its first wire-to-wire playoff win since 2002.
Injury-riddled Indiana started fast, using a 10-2 spurt midway through the first half to take a 30-19 lead, only to see Atlanta cut the halftime deficit to 35-29 courtesy of Gray’s 3-pointer to close the second quarter — the Dream’s first 3 of the game.
Atlanta continued to rally early in the second half, closing to 40-37 midway through the third quarter.
But behind the tandem of Mitchell and Boston, Indiana answered with seven straight points, closed the quarter on another 7-0 run and opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 spurt to make it 67-44. The blowout allowed Mitchell and Boston to get some extra rest down the stretch.

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Game Recap: Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever (First Round, Game 2)

First Round Game Recap

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Game Recap: Dream vs. Fever (9/16/25)

Analysis

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Editor&#8217;s Note: Read more WNBA coverage from the Athletic <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/">here</a>. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its teams.
***
Editor’s note: This article is part of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/tag/programbuilders/" data-index="0">Program Builders</a> series, focusing on the behind-the-scenes executives and people fueling the future growth of their sports.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-203966" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-2025-09-16T134232.906.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-2025-09-16T134232.906.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-2025-09-16T134232.906-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-2025-09-16T134232.906-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-2025-09-16T134232.906-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />
Early in the third quarter of their seventh game of the season, the Atlanta Dream trailed the Seattle Storm by 17 points on the road. For much of the first half, the Dream played at a slow pace, using a stagnating offense. The ball stuck and players didn’t attack downhill the way first-year WNBA coach Karl Smesko had wanted.
Smesko called a timeout just over a minute after halftime. He reminded his players — a group that he had been coaching for less than six weeks — that the game was far from over. If they could attack the rim and get stops on defense, they would have a chance to be back in the contest.
Following the regroup, three-time All-Star Rhyne Howard attacked right, hitting a 10-foot floater and drawing a foul as well. On the ensuing Atlanta possession, Howard broke Storm center Ezi Magbegor down off the dribble, sinking another floater and drawing a foul. A 17-point deficit became 11. The Dream had life.
Atlanta went on to win by seven that night. Howard finished with 33 points, while her backcourt partner, Allisha Gray, added 28 points. That night in Seattle, Dream general manager Dan Padover reflected on what he had seen so far. “That was the first time I really started to think, ‘OK, we might have something here,’” he said.
Padover’s inclination proved true.
What the Dream turned out to have was a roster capable of amassing the most wins (30) in franchise history. Smesko won the most games for a first-year WNBA head coach, and Atlanta finished with a top four playoff seed for the first time since 2018. With a win on Tuesday night in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Indiana Fever, the Dream could move to the league semifinals for the first time in seven years. “Big thing for us is understanding that the job is not done in this series,” Smesko said after their series-opening 80-68 victory.
When Padover was hired in October 2021, after winning executive of the year twice in three seasons with the Las Vegas Aces, he said that Atlanta owner Larry Gottesdiener told him to treat the franchise as if it were an expansion team, insofar as the general manager had an ability to shape the roster however he saw fit. Padover saw the Dream’s rebuild as needing time. “Don’t skip steps,” he said. But unlike expansion teams, Atlanta lacked players. It had just three players under contract heading into the 2022 offseason.
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“We were just gonna have to do things differently,” Padover said.
Without lottery luck, that meant trades — 10 to be exact. Since 2022, the Dream acquired key draft picks (including the No. 1 pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, which was used to select Howard, and a second-round selection that same year used on likely 2025 Sixth Player of the Year Naz Hillmon) and players (including Gray and guard Jordin Canada) in deals with other teams.
There was no magic switch that flipped inside the Dream organization this season, just a gradual build that needed a steady steward.
Smesko came to Atlanta with the reputation as an offensive guru and a winner at Florida Gulf Coast. Entering the 2024 college season, he boasted the third-highest winning percentage among active coaches, behind UConn’s Geno Auriemma and LSU’s Kim Mulkey. But it’s his intentional methods that struck players right away. “Everything he says has a reason, has a purpose, and it all makes sense,” four-time All-Star center Brionna Jones said.
Smesko doesn’t put together practice plans, instead calling them “progress plans.” In training camp, he routinely stopped intra-squad scrimmages when he saw Atlanta players leaking out in transition without ensuring they saw a teammate grab a defensive rebound with two — not one, but two — eyes. (The focus has paid off, as the Dream are the No. 1 defensive rebounding team in the league.)
Atlanta is No. 2 in defensive rating, but its offensive evolution has been key, too. The Dream went from 12th in offensive rating in 2024 to second. But more than any overriding philosophy, Smesko said he has tried to keep things simple.
“I try to be careful not to overcomplicate things too much,” he said. “Let the best players in the world play, teach them how they can utilize their skills a little bit better to even become more efficient with their talents.”
For no player has that approach been more evident than Gray, who went from an All-Star-level player to the league’s best guard in 2025. She started in this year’s All-Star Game. “Just a clarifying moment of what a big-time player she’s become,” Padover said. She is likely to finish in the top four in MVP voting, averaging career-highs in points (18.4), rebounds (5.3) and assists (3.5) per game.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-203967" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-2025-09-16T134506.017.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-2025-09-16T134506.017.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-2025-09-16T134506.017-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-2025-09-16T134506.017-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-2025-09-16T134506.017-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />
Atlanta acquired Gray via a trade in January 2023 with the Dallas Wings. Padover said that at the time, Atlanta’s analytics model showed she was one of the most undervalued players in the WNBA. The Dream sent Dallas their No. 3 pick and a first-round pick in 2025 in return. “I was very bullish on what she could become here,” Padover said. “I knew that she had a much higher ceiling than she currently was playing at in Dallas.”
But it would have been hard to predict this exact leap.
Padover saw a player with not only All-Star potential, but one who might want to stay in Atlanta. Gray grew up two hours south of the city and attended South Carolina. With the Dream, Gray has felt the most comfortable. “I feel like I’ve had the ultimate green light,” she said earlier this season.
It helps that she does not have to star alone. Alongside Howard, who is now one of her closest friends, Gray can feed off another play-making wing. The duo has a plus-8.7 net rating this year, the highest mark in their three years playing together. Howard has also assisted Gray 36 times this season, tied for fourth most league-wide among guard pairs.
Part of Padover’s recognition that this year might be especially notable for the Dream stems from seeing his players want to be in Atlanta. That might sound like a simple concept, he said, but as a franchise that isn’t a traditional free-agent destination, buy-in is important.
“Our foundation is coming from Atlanta,” he said. “Continuity on teams is just as big of an advantage as talent.”
The Dream signed future Hall of Famer Brittney Griner and Jones this past offseason — both moves paying dividends. Such signings have been more anomalous than expected. It’s why Padover called it a “monumental moment for our franchise.”
Last winter, Padover recognized that the job ahead was not only to win, but to convince Griner and Jones — and frankly, the rest of the league — that Atlanta could be more than a plucky story.
“Our job is day in, day out to show these players why not only they should come here, but why they should stay here,” he said. “And I’ve always said the most important thing is to recruit your own players.”
But no pitch will be stronger than a deep playoff run.
Smesko was clear in their first training camp meeting that he felt the Dream could be the league’s most improved team — they were — and that they expected to be in the playoffs — they are. He told players they had the personnel to win a championship.
“We’re not the only team that’s capable of going on a run and winning this,” he said. “So somebody’s gonna play really well, (and) you’re gonna have to probably make your own breaks a couple (of) times. But we definitely have a team that’s capable of winning the whole thing.”
He’s been asked repeatedly to reflect on their lack of postseason experience as a group.
“If you can win that first series, suddenly you’ve got experience winning a playoff series, and then you build off it from there,” he said.
“Build” is the apt word. They take pride in constructing a contender. What remains to be seen is what exactly the ceiling is.
Program Builders is part of a partnership with Range Rover Sport. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/ben-pickman/" aria-label="Ben Pickman's Author Page">Ben Pickman</a> is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the WNBA and women’s college basketball. Previously, he was a writer at Sports Illustrated where he primarily covered women’s basketball and the NBA. He has also worked at CNN Sports and the Wisconsin Center for Journalism Ethics. Follow Ben on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/benpickman" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Follow Ben on Twitter">@benpickman</a>
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atlanta-dream-playoff-chase

Atlanta Dream’s WNBA Playoff Chase was Part of a ‘Progress Plan’

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) — Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard scored 20 points apiece to help the Atlanta Dream beat the Indiana Fever 80-68 on Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-three first-round playoff series.
Naz Hillmon, who was the AP Sixth Person of the Year, added 16 points and nine rebounds for the third-seeded Dream. Atlanta can advance to the semifinals with a win in Game 2 on Tuesday in Indianapolis.
Brionna Jones made a tiebreaking layup and Gray hit a pull-up jumper before Howard hit a 3-pointer that gave Atlanta a 47-40 lead almost four minutes into the second half and the Fever trailed the rest of the way.
Kelsey Mitchell led No. 7 seed Indiana with 27 points. Odyssey Sims scored 10 points and Aliyah Boston grabbed 12 rebounds to go with eight points and five assists. The Fever were missing Caitlin Clark, who is sidelined for the playoffs with a groin injury she suffered in the middle of July.
Indiana was also missing Sophie Cunningham (knee), Aari McDonald (foot) and Sydney Colson (knee).
Mitchell made a free throw that cut Indiana’s deficit to 10 points with 3:32 left in the fourth quarter but Hillmon, who scored 14 second-half points, answered with a three-point play and Atlanta led by double figures there on.
The Dream, under first-year coach Karl Smesko, doubled their win total from last year, shattered the club record for wins in a season (30) and finished with their highest win percentage (.682) in franchise history.
Mitchell hit a fast-break 3-pointer to cap a 9-0 run that gave Indiana a 15-6 lead with 4:55 left in the first quarter.

2025-playoffs-fever-dream-game-1-recap

Game Recap: Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream (First Round, Game 1)

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Game Recap: Fever vs. Dream (9/14/25)

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Rhyne Howard with 20 Points vs. Indiana Fever

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Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever - Game Highlights

Betting + Odds

From May to September, the 2025 WNBA season brought elite talent, nonstop entertainment, and storylines fans couldn’t ignore. The Las Vegas Aces ripped off a 16-game winning streak that not only locked up the No. 2 seed, but reshaped the futures market, while a crowded standings race kept playoff odds shifting week to week.
With the bracket finalized and postseason games tipping off Sunday, September 14, we’ll break down the playoff picture, <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/wnba">WNBA odds</a>, and futures available on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Stay locked into the playoffs with game previews, best bets, and predictions all postseason long on <a href="https://dknetwork.draftkings.com/">DraftKingsNetwork.com!</a>
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<h2>WNBA Playoff Picture</h2>
The No. 1 seed in the 2025 playoffs belongs to the Minnesota Lynx, and it’s no surprise. After finishing 34-10 and locking up the top spot on August 30, they roll into the postseason with elite defense, depth, and 5x All-Star Napheesa Collier leading the charge. Minnesota has held firm as the DraftKings Sportsbook favorite since overtaking the defending champion Liberty in mid-August, and they haven’t looked back. Still, plenty of movement has shaken up the WNBA Finals odds. More on that below.
The No. 2 seed belongs to (and I say this with full enthusiasm) the Las Vegas Aces. Closing the regular season on a 16-game tear, the two-time champs have surged into second place behind the unstoppable play of reigning MVP and current -550 favorite A’ja Wilson. At 29, Wilson is leading the league in points (23.4), rebounds (10.2), and blocks (2.3) per game, and over her last 10 she’s been even more dominant, averaging 26.9 points, 10.7 boards, and 2.9 blocks. That’s elite status, plain and simple.
The No. 3 seed goes to the Atlanta Dream, who wrapped the regular season at 30-14. Built on tough, defense-first basketball, they thrive on turning stops into transition buckets and have the weapons to pressure any top seed. Rhyne Howard paces the scoring while Allisha Gray adds two-way versatility, and with Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones holding it down inside, this squad’s athleticism and depth give them real sleeper value in the 2025 playoff field.
The rest of the seeding is as follows:
No. 4: Phoenix Mercury — 27-17
No. 5: New York Liberty — 27-17
No. 6: Indiana Fever — 24-20
No. 7: Seattle Storm — 23-21
No. 8: Golden State Valkyries — 23-21
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<h2>Playoff Schedule — Round 1: Sunday, September 14th</h2>
Golden State Valkyries at Minnesota Lynx, 1:00 PM ET — Line: MIN -12.5
Indiana Fever at Atlanta Dream, 3:00 PM ET — Line: ATL -7.5
New York Liberty at Phoenix Mercury, 5:00 PM ET — Line: NY -1.5
Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces, 10:00 PM ET — Line: LV -6
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<h3>Championship Odds on DraftKings Sportsbook</h3>
Let it be noted — the odds to win the WNBA Championship on DraftKings Sportsbook kept shifting right up until Thursday night. The reason? The Las Vegas Aces.
The Favorite: Minnesota Lynx (+110) — The Lynx have held the top spot for weeks, backed by the league’s best offensive and defensive ratings. They lead the WNBA in scoring and assists while shooting efficiently from both the field and beyond the arc. Napheesa Collier is a force on both ends, and with Courtney Williams orchestrating as a playmaker and Kayla McBride stretching defenses as a lethal shooter, Minnesota has the depth and star power to fuel a championship run.
Next in Line: Las Vegas Aces (+300) — A 16-game winning streak isn’t just about padding the win column — it’s about building toughness, confidence, and belief. A’ja Wilson has surged into serious MVP-favorite territory while proving she can take over against anyone, even the top-seeded Lynx. Add in steady production from Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd, and this veteran-loaded roster looks every bit like a team built to make another Finals run.
In the Mix: New York Liberty (+340) — The reigning champs may have finished as the 5-seed at 27-17, but playoff experience matters. With Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu still leading the charge, plus Natasha Cloud adding grit and defensive versatility, New York’s core knows how to win on the biggest stage. Even through injuries and a late-season slump, their depth has kept them afloat, and you can’t discount a team that already knows what it takes to raise the trophy.
Longer Odds: Atlanta Dream (+1100) — The Dream closed the season strong to secure their playoff spot and enter the postseason with momentum on their side. First-year head coach Karl Smesko has them playing faster with better spacing, creating a perimeter-heavy attack that keeps defenses guessing. With Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard lighting it up on the wing and Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones anchoring the paint, Atlanta has the balance to surprise and make a deep run.
&nbsp;
Stay locked into the playoffs with game previews, best bets, and predictions all postseason long on <a href="https://dknetwork.draftkings.com/">DraftKingsNetwork.com!</a>
All odds and lines provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change.
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2025 WNBA Playoffs Picture: Odds on DraftKings Sportsbook

Latest

Rhyne Howard

Accolades: 
<ul>
<li>2024 Bronze Medalist for 3&#215;3 Basketball at the Paris Olympic Games </li>
<li>3 x WNBA All-Star </li>
<li>WNBA Kia Rookie of the Year (2022)</li>
<li>Associated Press Rookie of the Year (2022)</li>
<li>WNBA Kia Rookie of the Month (August 2022)</li>
<li>WNBA Kia Rookie of the Month (July 2022)</li>
<li>WNBA Kia Rookie of the Month (June 2022)</li>
<li>WNBA Kia Rookie of the Month (May 2022)</li>
<li>WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week (5/15/22)</li>
<li>Associated Press Player of the Week (5/16/22)</li>
</ul>
2024 Season with the Dream:
<ul>
<li>Played 30 games for the Dream in 2024, averaging 17.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.</li>
<li>Owns the franchise record for the most points scored by any Atlanta Dream player over a three-game span with 100 after dropping a season-high against Indiana (9/8).</li>
<li>Powered the Dream with a dominant performance against Dallas (9/6), totaling 33 points, three rebounds, six assists and one steal. She became the first Dream player since Angel McCoughtry in 2013 to put up consecutive 30+ point performances.</li>
<li>Headlined the Dream with a season-high of 31 points, with four rebounds, two steals and one assist against Phoenix (9/3). Marking the fifth 30pt+ game of her career, Howard moved to No. 2 in Dream franchise history for most 30pt+ games. She is also one of five Dream players to record two 30pt+ games in one season.</li>
<li>Passed Angel McCoughtry for No. 2 on the Dream’s All-Time 3-pointers list with her third 3-pointer of the game against Las Vegas (8/30).</li>
<li>Led the Dream with a dominant 30-point night against Seattle (8/16), with three rebounds and one steal. She marked both a season-high and the fourth time in her career reaching 30+ points and is now tied for No. 2 overall in Dream franchise history for 30+ point games. She also reached her ninth career game with 25+ points, bringing her to No. 3 overall in Dream franchise history for 25+ point games.</li>
<li>Won Bronze with the 2024 USA Basketball 3×3 Women’s National Team at the 2024 Paris Olympics as a first time olympian 8/5). She became the first Dream player to reach the Olympic podium since Angel McCoughtry in 2016.</li>
<li>With her first 3-pointer against Washington (6/11), she became the youngest player in WNBA history (24 years and 43 days) to reach 200 career 3-pointers, passing Diana Taurasi (24 years, 46 days).</li>
<li>Became the youngest player to record at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals in a game since Swin Cash in 2003 (5/26).</li>
</ul>
2023 Highlights with the Dream  
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="●" data-font="" data-listid="14" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;●&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Played and started in 39 regular season games with the Dream </li>
<li data-leveltext="●" data-font="" data-listid="14" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;●&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">In her first WNBA Playoff appearance in which she dropped 36 points, Rhyne Howard made both league and franchise history.  </li>
<li data-leveltext="●" data-font="" data-listid="14" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;●&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">With those 36 points she became the youngest player in WNBA history to score 30+ points in the postseason and scored the most ever points for a WNBA playoff debut.  </li>
<li data-leveltext="●" data-font="" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;●&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">Recorded her first career double-double with a career-best 10 rebounds and a team-high 20 points in the Dream’s season opener at Dallas (5/20), adding two assists and 3 steals.  </li>
<li data-leveltext="●" data-font="" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;●&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">Dished out her highest assist count of her career with 8 against the Mystics (6/30) </li>
<li data-leveltext="●" data-font="" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;●&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1">Scored a career-high and historic 43 points on 70% shooting (14/20) against the Sparks (7/2), becoming the only the second Dream player ever to score 40 + points.  </li>
<li data-leveltext="●" data-font="" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;●&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1">Dropped 32 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals against Chicago (7/9) </li>
<li data-leveltext="●" data-font="" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;●&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="8" data-aria-level="1">Became the fastest Dream player to reach 1000 career points (59 games) vs. the Mystics (7/30). </li>
<li data-leveltext="●" data-font="" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;●&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="9" data-aria-level="1">Howard became the 10th player in WNBA history and first for the Dream to earn 14 games with 20+ points, 2+ 3PM, and 70 + FG % in under two seasons (5/30) </li>
</ul>
2022 Season (Atlanta): 
<ul>
<li>Put up 16 points off 4 three’s in her WNBA debut, with a team-leading 4 blocks and 2 steals. She is the first rookie in WNBA history to record 4 blocks and 4 made three-pointers in their debut.
<ul>
<li>Her 12 three-point attempts stands as the most by a Dream player since Renee Montgomery took 13 in 2019.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Topped her previous game with 21 points off 5 made three’s and pulled down 8 rebounds in a win over Los Angeles (5/11).</li>
<li>Scored 33 points in win over Indiana (5/15) with 17 points in the first quarter alone, which was tied for the third-most scored in a single quarter by a first-year player in the WNBA and the most ever scored by a rookie in a first quarter of any WNBA game.</li>
<li>WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week (5/15) and AP Player of the Week (5/16).
<ul>
<li>The first rookie to win the award in the first week of their WNBA career since Tamika Catchings in 2002, and the first Dream rookie to ever earn the WNBA Player of the Week award.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Howard eclipsed 100 points in only five games, the seventh-most by a rookie in their first five games in league history. She reached 123 after the May 20th game against Washington, the sixth-most of any rookie in league history in that time span and the most by any Dream rookie.</li>
<li>Led the team with 25 points at Phoenix (6/10) off a season-high 6 made three&#8217;s.</li>
<li>Named the WNBA Kia Rookie of the Month for June: through the month of June, she averaged 14.3 points and 2.7 assists, making 5.3 field goals and 2.1 three-pointers per game, all of which ranked first among rookies.</li>
</ul>
Howard in the News:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNxPgOVkO8A">Bally Sports Southeast Halftime Feature on Rhyne Howard</a> with Tabitha Turner</li>
<li><a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/34458884/atlanta-dream-star-rhyne-howard-wins-wnba-rookie-year-award">Atlanta Dream star Rhyne Howard wins WNBA Rookie of the Year award</a> | M.A. Voepel for ESPN.com, August 25, 2022</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/23/sports/basketball/wnba-rhyne-howard-atlanta-dream.html">The Dream&#8217;s Clean-Slate Strategy Made Space for a Star: Rhyne Howard</a> | Erica Ayala for The New York Times, June 23, 2022</li>
<li><a href="https://girlsunited.essence.com/article/rhyne-howard-zaila-avant-garde-xbox/">WNBA Rookie Rhyne Howard Wants Young Black Girls in Sports To Feel &#8216;Invited To Play&#8217;</a> | D&#8217;Shonda Brown for Girls United, August 2, 2022</li>
<li><a href="https://www.slamonline.com/wnba/no-1-overall-pick-rhyne-howard-signs-multi-year-deal-with-jordan-brand/">No. 1 Overall Pick Rhyne Howard Signs Multi-Year Deal With Jordan Brand</a> | Brooks Warren for SLAM, May 6, 2022</li>
</ul>
College: Kentucky’s first player ever drafted No. 1 overall by a WNBA franchise. She leaves Lexington as the program’s all-time top three-point shooter and a two-time SEC Player of the Year. The 21-year-old from Cleveland, Tenn. started in 114 games over the course of her four-year career with the Wildcats. She totaled 2,290 career points and is one of only nine players in women’s basketball history to be named to the Associated Press First Team three times. She finished the 2021-22 season as the only player in the nation with over 600+ points, 200+ rebounds, 100+ assists, 70+ steals and 35+ blocks. During her college career, Howard averaged 20.1 points (20.5 in 31 games during the 2021-22 season alone), 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 33 minutes per game during her career. Personal: member of Zeta Phi Beta, a historically African American sorority. Organized a Unity Fair and Social Justice March on campus and was joined by dozens of student-athletes and hundreds of fellow community members. It was solely organized by the team and spearheaded by Howard, aimed to bring awareness to police brutality, inform their peers on how these issues affect the black community, encourage their peers to exercise their right to vote, demand justice for injustices, provide mental health information and resources, and spread love through tough times.
USA Basketball: 
<ul>
<li>Honors: 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup All-Star Five and 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship MVP.</li>
<li>Gold Medal: 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup (along with teammate Naz Hillmon) and 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.</li>
<li>Silver Medal: 2019 Red Bull USA Basketball 3&#215;3 Nationals.</li>
<li>As a member of the 2018 USA U18 National Team, Howard helped her team earn a 6-0 record by starting in five of six games and averaged 8.5 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and tied for a team-high with 3.0 assists per game.</li>
<li>Competed for Drive in the 2019 Red Bull USA Basketball 3&#215;3 Nationals where she helped lead her team to a silver medal and a 6-2 record where she scored 11 of her team’s 20 points in the championship game.</li>
<li>Member of the 2019 USA U19 World Cup Team that finished with a 7-0 record and earned the gold medal with a 74-70 overtime victory over Australia in Bangkok, Thailand. Howard started all seven games and averaged a team-high 13.1 points per game and added 5.1 rebounds per game.</li>
<li>Named to the 2021 USA Women&#8217;s AmeriCup Team on June 6, 2021.</li>
</ul>
Personal:
<ul>
<li>Daughter of Rhvonja “RJ” Avery, who played at the University of Florida, and James Howard.</li>
<li>Member of Zeta Phi Beta</li>
<li>Majored in Digital Media and Design</li>
</ul>