ATLANTA, GA (May 16, 2022) – Atlanta Dream rookie guard Rhyne Howard was named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week, the league announced today. The honor makes her 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.
Howard is the Dream’s first WNBA Player of the Week since Tiffany Hayes won in 2018 and the first rookie to win the award since the 2019 season.
In her debut week, Howard averaged 20.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists. She started in all four games and led the Dream in scoring in each of the team’s three wins.
Howard led the team to a 66-59 victory over the Dallas Wings in her first-ever WNBA game, where she made four three-point field goals and recorded four blocks – the first player in league history to accomplish the milestone in their debut game. Her 12 three-point attempts in that game stands as the most by a Dream player since Renee Montgomery took 13 in a game in 2019.
In her second professional game, Howard scored 21 points in a 77-75 win over the Los Angeles Sparks, where she added 8 rebounds and made five three-point field goals.
Most recently, Howard tied the record for third-most points scored in a game by a Dream rookie with 33 points in a win over the Indiana Fever on May 15. Her 17 points in the first quarter of that game is tied for the third-most scored in a 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.
With 83 points through her first four games, Howard is just the 6th rookie in WNBA history to score 80 in such a span.
The Dream return to action Tuesday night against the Indiana Fever at 7:00 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Southeast.
The Atlanta Dream is a professional women’s basketball team based in Atlanta, Ga. that strives to build a place where our team, our fans and our city come together to represent the community we seek to serve. We enter our 15th year in 2022 with new ownership, new leadership, and a commitment to building the best franchise in the WNBA. We celebrate diversity, represent Atlanta, reward innovation and imagination, and aim to empower women both on and off the court. The team currently plays home games at the Gateway Center Arena @ College Park and has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in nine of its first 14 seasons. To learn more about the Dream and purchase 2022 season tickets, mini plans and single game tickets, please visit www.dreamelitemembership.com or call 877-977-7729.