No. 1 overall Draft pick, AT&T WNBA All-Star, four-time Kia WNBA Rookie of the Month, AP Rookie of the Year and now Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year – guard Rhyne Howard took the league by storm in 2022.
On Thursday, August 25, the WNBA announced Howard as the 2022 KIA WNBA Rookie of the Year, receiving 53 votes from a national panel of 56 sportswriters and broadcasters. Washington Mystics center/forward Shakira Austin received two votes and Indiana Fever forward NaLyssa Smith received one vote.
She is the Dream’s second-ever WNBA Rookie of the Year after franchise-legend Angel McCoughtry took home the honor in 2009. She is just the fourth No. 1 overall selection to sweep all WNBA Rookie of the Month honors and be named Rookie of the Year.
Records Shattered
Most WNBA Rookie of the Month awards in franchise history with four, making Howard just the fourth player in history to win the award four times in a season and the seventh to ever sweep all league Rookie of the Month awards.
Most three-pointers made (85) and attempted (248) in a rookie season in league history, and the most made and attempted by any Dream player in franchise history.
First- (33) and second-most (28) points scored in a game by a rookie in the WNBA in 2022, and holds five of the top seven scoring games by a rookie this season.
Most points scored in a rookie season (552) in franchise history, making her the first Dream rookie to ever eclipse 500 points in one season.
Most 10+ point games (30), 15+ point games (20) and 20+ point games (11) of any rookie in Dream history.
Most defensive rebounds (127) in a season by any Dream rookie in franchise history.
Howard averaged 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.59 steals in 31.3 minutes in 34 games (all starts) this season. She led all WNBA rookies in points, assists, steals and minutes per game. Among all WNBA players, Howard ranked 11th in scoring average and tied for fifth in steals. She also finished third in the league in three-pointers made with 85, a single-season record by a WNBA rookie.
In honor of being named the 2022 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year, Howard will receive $5,150 and a specially designed trophy by Tiffany & Co.
