Kentucky star Rhyne Howard favored for No. 1 pick in WNBA draft
LEXINGTON — Kentucky star Rhyne Howard is not expected to have to wait long to hear her name called in Monday’s WNBA draft.
The Atlanta Dream, who traded up for the first selection, are widely projected to draft Howard, the consensus top prospect in the draft class.
“She's a game changer,” ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson said of Howard. “She's an elite talent. When you look at all the different things she can do on the basketball court, she can score it from 3, 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.”
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Howard leaves Kentucky ranked second on the school’s career scoring list (2,290 points). She holds the program record for made 3s (284) and ranks second in program history in field goals made (790), fourth in 3-point percentage (38.2%) and fourth in steals per game (2.298).
As a senior, Howard was named a first-team All-American after averaging 20.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
“It's so important to be able to run the pick-and-roll,” ESPN analyst Rebecca 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.”
If there is a criticism of Howard it is an inconsistent motor.
Kentucky did not enjoy the same success as powers that traditional produce top WNBA draft prospects. The Wildcats’ offense was built around Howard.
“I think she played on the team this year where she had to conserve her motor in order to play 40 minutes every game and carry a team,” said Indiana Fever interim general manager Linn Dunn, who previously coached Howard as an assistant at Kentucky. “She has a motor. She uses it when it's needed. She is exceptional when she's playing with better players around her.
“And if anybody wants to see her at her best, go watch her games in USA Basketball where she won gold medals every time she participated and was the MVP of every one of those competitions.”
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If the Dream select Howard, she would be the fifth Kentucky player in any sport to be drafted first overall in a major American professional sports league draft.
Tim Couch was drafted first in the 1999 NFL draft. John Wall (2010), Anthony Davis (2012) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2015) were picked first in the NBA draft.
A first-round loss to Princeton in the NCAA Tournament ended Howard’s college career on a down note, but one game earlier she helped lead the Wildcats to the program’s first SEC Tournament title since 1982.
Monday, Howard can cap her Kentucky career with one last piece of history.
“She's a once-in-a-lifetime type of player,” UK coach Kyra Elzy said of Howard after the Princeton lost. “She's gifted. But more importantly, what she has done for Kentucky basketball. I've said this: She is the best in the country for a reason. Her ability to score on all three levels; her basketball game speaks for itself. She has left her legacy at Kentucky and for women's basketball.”
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Email Jon Hale at jahale@courier-journal.com; Follow him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: WNBA draft: Likely top pick Rhyne Howard a 'game changer'
