The WNBA announced that Rhyne Howard has won the Rookie of the Year Award for the 2022 season.
Rhyne is crazy this season 🔥 @howard_rhyne Is this your 2022 Kia? @WNBA Roy🏆 pic.twitter.com/ZP9Dcblhti
– WSLAM (@wslam) August 25, 2022
Howard led the Dream (14-22) to fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The former Kentucky All-American averaged 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on 36.1 percent shooting from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc. She was the only rookie nominated for the 2022 All-Star Game. She also made history by becoming just the sixth rookie to score 30 or more points in her first four games.
Howard received 53 of the 56 votes she was able to get from WNBA media members and broadcasters. Howard also headlines an All-Rookie team that includes NaLyssa Smith, Queen Egbo, Shakira Austin and Rebekah Gardner. Austin received two ROY votes and Smith received one. Howard is the second Dream player to earn RY after Angel McCoughtry earned it in 2009.
Howard entered the WNBA after a legendary career at Kentucky. Her honors include earning First-Team All-American honors twice and receiving Freshman of the Year honors from the WBCA, USBWA and SEC. Her SEC honors include earning back-to-back Player of the Year honors, four All-SEC nods, including three First-Team nods from 2019-2021, and a 2020 All-Defensive team nod.
