LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Rhyne Howard, who became just the eighth three-time consensus All-American in women's basketball history as a player at the University of Kentucky, was taken with the No. 1 pick of Monday night's WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream.
Howard becomes the first UK player ever taken No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft, and the second from an area college team, joining Louisville standout Angel McCoughtry, who went No. 1 in 2009.
Howard has long been recognized one of the top college players in the nation. A 6-foot-2-inch guard from Cleveland, Tennessee, her versatility has been impressive from the day she arrived on campus. She was a career 38% shooter from three-point range at Kentucky, and averaged 20.1 points per game over four years. She finished her career as the No. 2 scorer in UK history.
The Dream got the right to draft her in a trade with the Washington Mystics last week, sending the No. 3 and No. 14 overall picks to D.C., along with the right to swap first-round picks next season.
“Rhyne is a special talent with a multi-faceted skillset, she’s going to be a great addition to our team,” said Atlanta head coach Tanisha Wright. “She has a quiet competitiveness that I love, and I think the level of play in our league will bring something special out of her which I’m really excited to see.”
Kentucky guard Rhyne Howard (10) grabs a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against South Carolina Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
The Dream’s only previous No. 1 overall pick, McCoughtry, went on to become Atlanta's franchise player, earning five WNBA All-Star appearances, seven WNBA All-Defensive First Team nominations, and two All-WNBA First Team nods while leading the Dream to three WNBA Finals appearances (2010, 2011, 2013).
Atlanta is a short distance from Howard's hometown, which puts her in the rare position of her professional destination also being something of a homecoming. Asked about that, and about being the top overall pick, Howard said she was grateful.
"For it to be so close is huge. It'll mean a lot of you know, family and close friends will be able to come and support me," Howard said. "But to go first, I don't even have words where right now I'm still kind of shaking. But it's super exciting. And I'm, you know, proud of what I've done. proud of myself and, you know, thankful for everyone that's been on this journey with me, and that's helped me to get here.
ESPN's LaChina Robinson said Howard is the kind of talent that teams will line up for.
"Rhyne is a pro. She's a gam-changer. She's an elite talent," Robinson said. "When you look at all the different things she can do on the basketball court, she can score it from three, she has a pull-up game, she can get to the rim. There really just isn't anything else from a scoring standpoint that you could ask for. She doesn't need a lot of space to get her shot off or a lot of time. That's important for a fast-paced league like the WNBA."
Former UConn standout Rebecca Lobo said Howard's skill-set may make her more dangerous as a pro than she even was at Kentucky.
"It's so important to be able to run the pick-and-roll," Lobo said. "Rhyne Howard showed that she is excellent in that throughout her college career. Whether it's looking for her own shot, she's a very good passer, her ability to find her open teammates. Because of her size, she can play multiple positions."
Kentucky's Rhyne Howard makes a pass against Louisville in December of 2018.
Kentucky didn't have a great season in her senior year, though her final college victory came in an upset win over No. 1-ranked South Carolina in the SEC Tournament. In four years, Kentucky won only two NCAA Tournament games. Some questioned her "motor" at times, as the Wildcats struggled.
But Howard was a marked player in every college game she played. And when she was on her game, she had few equals.
"As far as improvement, I think just continuing to increase her sense of urgency on the court is something that I'm definitely looking forward to," Robinson said. "Then at the next level when you're guarding the best players in the world, I think every rookie could stand to improve on the defensive end."
Lobo added: "Can that motor go consistently and really hard every single night? But it's going to be exciting to see what she can do surrounded by WNBA-level talent. I think everyone is kind of eager to see what that's going to look like."
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