2022 WNBA Draft: Atlanta Dream take Rhyne Howard with No. 1 pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Rhyne Howard is Atlanta-bound.
The Atlanta Dream took the Kentucky guard with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft on Monday.
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“I'm shaking right now,” Howard said. “It's a dream come true.”
Howard was a standout scorer during her four years at Kentucky. She averaged more than 20 points per game in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons with the Wildcats and was named the SEC Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior.
In 2021-22, she averaged 20.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Howard helped lead Kentucky to a surprising SEC Tournament title before the team’s season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Princeton.
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The Dream acquired the first pick on Wednesday by sending the No. 3 pick, No. 14 and a 2023 first-round pick swap to the Washington Mystics.
Baylor forward NaLyssa Smith was the next player off the board, going to the Indiana Fever at No. 2. The Mystics then drafted Ole Miss center Shakira Austin at No. 3.
Below is the full 2022 WNBA Draft list:
Round 1
- Atlanta Dream: Rhyne Howard, SG, Kentucky
- Indiana Fever: NaLyssa Smith, PF, Baylor
- Washington Mystics: Shakira Austin, C, Ole Miss
- Indiana Fever: Emily Engstler, PF, Louisville
- New York Liberty: Nyara Sabally, C, Oregon
- Indiana Fever: Lexie Hull, SG, Stanford
- Dallas Wings: Veronica Burton, PG, Northwestern
- Las Vegas Aces: Mya Hollingshed, SF, Colorado
- Los Angeles Sparks: Rae Burrell, SF, Tennessee
- Indiana Fever: Queen Egbo, C, Baylor
- Las Vegas Aces: Kierstan Bell, SG, Florida Gulf Coast
- Connecticut Sun: Nia Clouden, SG, Michigan State
Round 2
- Las Vegas Aces: Khayla Pointer, PG, LSU
- Washington Mystics: Christyn Williams, SG, UConn
- Atlanta Dream: Naz Hillmon, PF, Michigan
- Los Angeles Sparks: Kianna Smith, SG, Louisville
- Seattle Storm: Elissa Cunane, C, NC State
- New York Liberty (via Storm): Lorela Cubaj, PF, Georgia Tech
- Los Angeles Sparks: Olivia Nelson-Ododa, PF, UConn
- Indiana Fever: Destanni Henderson, PG, South Carolina
- Seattle Storm: Evina Westbrook, PG, UConn
- Minnesota Lynx: Kayla Jones, PF, NC State
- Las Vegas Aces: Aisha Sheppard, SG, Virginia Tech
- Connecticut Sun: Jordan Lewis, PG, Baylor
Round 3
- Indiana Fever: Ameshya Williams-Holiday, C, Jackson State
- Phoenix Mercury: Maya Dodson, PF, Notre Dame
- Los Angeles Sparks: Amy Atwell, SF, Hawai’i
- Minnesota Lynx: Hannah Sjerven, PF, South Dakota
- New York Liberty: Sika Kone, PF, Mali
- Dallas Wings: Jasmine Dickey, SF, Delaware
- Dallas Wings: Jazz Bond, PF, North Florida
- Phoenix Mercury: Macee Williams, PF, IUPUI
- Seattle Storm: Jade Melbourne, PG, Australia
- Indiana Fever: Ali Patberg, SG, Indiana
- Las Vegas Aces: Faustine Aifuwa, C, LSU
- Connecticut Sun: Kiara Smith, PG, Florida
