Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after leading the Dream to a 2-0 week, with victories over the Dallas Wings and Phoenix Mercury. It’s her fourth career selection, making her the player with the second-most selections in franchise history, trailing only Angel McCoughtry, a 17-time Player of the Week winner.
The award comes on the heels of a spectacular week on both ends of the floor for Howard.
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Against Dallas, Howard recorded 25 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals while shooting 58.3 percent from the field and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line. Against Phoenix, she tallied 21 points, 8 rebounds, and sank 6 three-pointers.
Perhaps most impressively? On top of her offensive contributions, Howard typically guards opposing teams’ top players; she helped hold Paige Bueckers to a season-low 7 points on 3-13 shooting, for example.
After that game, head coach Karl Smesko heaped praise on Howard.
“Rhy is locked in,” Smesko said, per CBS News. “She has just an amazing overall game. I’ve seen it in training camp all year. This has been a different approach for Rhy from the very beginning of the year.”
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After that same game, teammate Angel Reese called Howard an MVP candidate.
“She makes life easier,” Reese said. “She can score at all levels and then also on the defensive end. She brings an intensity to our team and brings everybody up, and plays at a high standard every single play and every single possession. She’s just a great leader for us. An All-Star caliber player, an MVP-caliber player. She doesn’t get enough credit for it, so I’m grateful to be on this side.”
The 26-year-old is averaging 18.8 points, 4.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game so far this season, while shooting 41.2% from the field and 38.7% from three, both career-highs. The Dream have the WNBA’s best record at 4-1.
In the Western Conference, Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum was named Player of the Week. Plum averaged 27 points and 8 assists while shooting 58.1% from the field, 58.8% from beyond the arc, and 100% from the free-throw line. The Sparks beat the Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks en route to a 2-0 week.
