Atlanta Dream select Rhyne Howard with first pick in 2022 WNBA Draft after trade up
A week after acquiring the top pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft in a trade, the Atlanta Dream used it to select Kentucky Wildcats guard Rhyne Howard.
Howard, 21, was the SEC Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons before she was dethroned by South Carolina's Aliyah Boston this year. In four seasons with the Wildcats, Howard averaged 20.1 points, 2.9 assists, and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Atlanta traded away the No. 14 pick to the Washington Mystics to move up from No. 3 to No. 1. Washington also has the right to swap out its 2023 first-round pick for a 2023 first-rounder that Atlanta acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Sparks. The Mystics used the No. 3 selection to take Ole Miss center Shakira Austin.
Last season, the Dream finished 8-24, the second worst record in the WNBA. The Mystics won the draft lottery, despite finishing the year 12-20.
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