Women's Basketball
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Rhyne Howard - Women's Basketball - University of Kentucky Athletics 10

RhyneHoward

  • position Guard
  • height 6-2
  • class Junior
  • Hometown Cleveland, Tenn.
  • Major Digital Media and Design
  • High school Bradley Central HS
BIO Stats

Started her time in Lexington as a highly touted recruit from Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tenn., and has not disappointed … Spent time in the summer of 2018 playing for USA Basketball’s U18 National Team, helping USA win gold and was named the tournament’s MVP … Also won gold for the USA U19 team in the summer of 2019 … Unanimous national freshman of the year in 2019 after making an immediate impact with her ability to score and incredible size at guard … Was the 2018 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year and Tennessee Miss Basketball … Howard’s career is one of the best in program history … In 114 career games, Howard hit at least one 3 in 99 games, posted 10 or more points in 102 career games, 15+ in 85 games, 20+ in 61 games, 25+ in 33 games and 30+ 10 games … The guard led UK in scoring in 73 career games, in rebounding in 60 career games, in assists in 40 career games, in steals in 50 games and blocks in 45 career games … She had 27 career double-doubles and one triple-double …  For her career, Howard scored 2,290 career points sitting second in UK history in points scored. Against Vanderbilt, Howard scored her 2,000 career points, becoming just the third Wildcat in school history – both men’s and women’s – to record 2,000 or more points in 100 games or less … She joined Hall of Famers Dan Issel and Valerie Still in that category … Howard ranks second in school history in career scoring average at 20.1, while she is second in field-goals made with 790, first in career 3s made with 284 and fourth in career 3-point field-goal percentage at 38.2 … She is also fourth in UK history in steals per game at 2.298. … Picked Kentucky over South Carolina and Purdue.

  • 6x SEC Player of the Week
  • 2x espnW National Player of the Week
  • 2x Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week (2021, 2022)
  • NCAA Starting 5 of the Week (2021)
  • 8x SEC Freshman of the Week
  • USBWA National Freshman of the Week
  • SEC Player of the Year by league coaches (2020, 2021)
  • SEC Freshman of the Year by league coaches (2019)
  • All-SEC First Team by league coaches (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
  • SEC All-Defensive Team (2020)
  • All-SEC Second Team by Associated Press (2019)
  • SEC All-Freshman Team by league coaches (2019)
  • SEC Newcomer of the Year by Associated Press (2019)
  • espnW National Freshman of the Year (2019)
  • WBCA National Freshman of the Year (2019)
  • USBWA National Freshman of the Year (2019)
  • WBCA All-America Honorable Mention (2019, 2020)
  • WBCA  All-America First Team (2021, 2022)
  • WBCA Wade Trophy Finalist (2021, 2022)
  • Citizen Naismith Trophy Finalist Top 4 (2020, 2021)
  • Citizen Naismith Trophy Semifinalist (2022)
  • John R. Wooden Award National Ballot (2020, 2021, 2022)
  • John R. Wooden Award All-American (2020, 2021, 2022)
  • Cheryl Miller Award Finalist (2020, 2021, 2022)
  • Associated Press All-America First Team (2020, 2021, 2022)
  • USBWA All-America First-Team (2020, 2021, 2022)
  • USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Finalist (2020, 2021)
  • Dawn Staley Award Finalist (2020, 2021, 2022)
  • Honda Sport Award Finalist (2021, 2022)
  • Senior CLASS Award Finalist (2022)
  • SEC Tournament MVP (2022)
  • SEC All-Tournament Team (2020, 2021, 2022)

2021-22 (Senior)

Selected No. 1 overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft, becoming Kentucky women’s basketball’s first ever top selection … Played and started in 31 games, averaging a team-lead 35.2 minutes per game … Scored 20.5 ppg and recorded 7.4 rpg, dishing out 102 assists, and a team-lead 71 steals and 39 blocks …  Led UK in scoring 19 times, rebounding 15 times, assists 11 times, steals 19 times, blocks 14 times and has 10 season double-doubles … She performed her best in Kentucky’s 10 ranked matchups in 2021-22, scoring 21.2 ppg on 47.0 percent shooting from the field and 38.0 percent shooting from long range, adding 7.1 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2.1 spg and 1.4 bpg …  She concluded her Kentucky career with 2,290 points, sitting second in UK history in point scored … Howard graduated from the program ranked second in school history in career scoring average at 20.1, second in field-goals made with 790, first in career 3s made with 284, fourth in career 3-point field-goal percentage at 38.2 and fourth in UK history in steals per game at 2.298 … Led for most assists and steals for Kentucky with seven assists and four steals in game vs. Presbyterian … Earned 18th career double-double in game vs. North Alabama … Recorded first career triple-double in game against Winthrop with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists … Tied season-high single-game steals amount with six against USC Upstate … Earned season-high in points with 30 in win over Georgia … Led team in points and steals with 24 points and four steals in game against Tennessee … Had her fourth double-double of the year vs. Ole Miss with 24 points and 10 rebounds … After a 29-point, 9 rebound performance at Auburn, she has scored at least 24 points against every team in the SEC throughout her career … Recorded a double-double with 25 points against Vanderbilt … Against Vandy, she earned her 2,000th career point becoming the third player in program history with 2,000 points or more (A’dia Mathies, Valerie Still) … Joined an exclusive club of Wildcats with Dan Issel and Valerie Still as the only players that have scored 2,000 career points in 100 games or less … Hit five 3s with 29 total points and 10 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season against Arkansas … Scored 19 points with 12 rebounds at Mizzou … Second all-time in Kentucky history – men’s and women’s – in career scoring … Broke school record for 3-pointers in a game (eight), career 3-pointers scored (272), and points for a senior on Senior Day (32) against Auburn … Shined at the SEC Tournament, helping Kentucky to its first tournament title in 40 years, being named the tournament’s most valuable player after scoring 88 points in UK’s four games at the event, marking the third most ever by a player in the tournament … The guard had 14 points against Mississippi State in the second round of the event … Then led Kentucky to an upset victory over No. 6 LSU in the quarterfinals, scoring 32 points with six 3-pointers … Before scoring 24 points against No. 15 Tennessee with seven assists, nine rebounds and two 3s in the semifinals … Then helped the Wildcats win the championship with a huge upset victory over No. 1 South Carolina, when she scored 18 points with four rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

2020-21 (Junior)

Played and started 24 games, averaging 20.7 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game … HIt 56 3-pointers during the year and shot 44.4 percent from the field overall … Also led UK in assists with 91 and finished second in steals with 61 … Was the only player in the nation this season to average over 20 points per game with at least 7.3 rebounds per game, 90 assists and 60 steals … Showed she is an all-around player and not just a scorer, upping her rebounds per game, assists per game and steals per game average from both her freshman and sophomore seasons … In 11 games against ranked opponents, she averaged 22.3 points per game, hitting 47.1 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from 3 with 6.7 rebounds per game and 3.0 assists per game … Score 10 or more points in 21 games, 15 or more in 15 games, 20 or more in 12 games, 25 or more in seven games and 30 or more in four games – three against top-25 teams … Hit three or more 3s in 10 games with six games of 10 or more rebounds and six double-doubles … Led UK in scoring in 15 games, rebounding in 13 games, assists in 13 games, steals in seven games and blocks in 11 games … Led all scorers against No. 13 Indiana, earning 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 3-of-6 from 3-point range, adding four rebounds, two assists and a steal … Earned her first double-double of the season at DePaul, scoring 18 points (7-of-15 shooting) and grabbing 12 boards, also forcing five steals … Helped Kentucky upset No. 10 Arkansas, earning a double-double on 24 points and 10 rebounds, also adding four assists … Lit it up in the second half at then-No. 12 Mississippi State, scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, before putting together a stat line that included 33 points, four 3-pointers, 10 rebounds and six assists for her second straight double-double against a top-12 team … Became the first Kentucky player in school history to have at least 33 points, 10 rebounds and six assists against an SEC opponent and the first Kentucky player in school history to have at least 33 points and 10 rebounds in an SEC road game … Led Kentucky with 22 points, six rebounds, and five assists, and added two steals, at then-No. 8 Texas A&M … Scored 32 points (without a 3-pointer) against then-No. 5 South Carolina, while adding seven rebounds, three assists and two steals … Returning to action after missing a game because of injury, scored 14 points, including 3-of-7 on 3-pointers, adding five rebounds, four assists and two steals at Auburn … Led Kentucky in scoring (16 points), rebounds (eight) and assists (seven) against Alabama at Rupp Arena … Earned fourth double-double of season vs. Missouri, scoring 22 points, grabbing 10 boards, dishing out three assists and recording one block … Stuffed the stat sheet against Tennessee at Rupp Arena, recording eight points, seven rebounds, seven steals and six assists … Recorded her third 30-point game this season at Florida, scoring 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting and 4-of-7 from the arc, adding nine rebounds, two steals and two assists … Scored 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 4-of-4 from the arc at Georgia, adding four rebounds, four steals, two assists and one block … Led Kentucky in points (21), rebounds (16), assists (5), steals (4) and blocks (1) vs. Ole Miss, earning her sixth double-double of the season … Scored 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting against Florida in the second round of the SEC Tournament, adding nine rebounds, four assists and four steals … Followed that up with 33 points against Georgia in the quarterfinals, adding five rebounds and three steals … Led the team in scoring (14), rebounds (9), assists (5), steals (4) and blocks (1) in Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament First Round win against Idaho State … Had 28 points against Iowa in the second round, hitting five 3s with five rebounds, eight assists and six steals.

2019-20 (Sophomore)

One of the best seasons in program history, finishing second nationally with 23.4 points per game while leading UK with 6.5 rebounds per game and 3.1 3-pointers per game, which ranked top-10 nationally … Scored 633 points during the season, which was fifth nationally and tied the fifth most in a season in program history … Posted a new school record in 3-pointers hit during a season with 84 … Scored 25 or more points in five straight games (UofL, Cal, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama) becoming the first player to accomplish that feat in program history … First player in program history to score 37+ points in consecutive games and the first to hit seven or more 3s in consecutive games accomplishing both of those vs. Tennessee and at Alabama … Scored 10+ in 25 games, 15+ in 21 games, 20+ in 21 games, 25+ in 13 games, 30+ in three games, 35+ in two games and 40+ in one game … Made three or more 3s in 14 games with six double-doubles … Led UK in scoring 22 times, in rebounding 14 times, in assists 10 times, in steals 15 times and in blocks 13 times … In season opener against Mount St. Mary’s, recorded a team-high 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and five steals, tabbing her sixth double-double of her career… Scored a game-high 24 points with five rebounds against Stetson, including 12 of UK’s first 13 points in the first quarter… Howard recorded her second double-double of the season at Virginia, scoring 13 points, including 10 in the second half, and 11 rebounds… Posted 27 points against Grambling State, including recording four 3-pointers, added five rebounds and two assists… Scored 29 points against Austin Peay, adding seven rebounds and four steals… Scored 30 points against Samford on 11-of-19 shooting and 5-of-8 3FG, added six rebounds three assists and three steals… Scored a game-high 26 points against Louisville, including 20 points in the first half, added four rebounds… Scored a game-high 29 points at Cal, including 24 points in the second half, added five rebounds and three assists… Recorded a game-high 28 points at South Carolina and led UK with six rebounds, two assists and one block… Scored 37 points against Tennessee on 12-of-27 shooting, including seven 3-pointers, adding team highs with nine rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks… The 37 points is the most points a UK player has ever scored against Tennessee … Scored a school-record tying 43 points at Alabama on 7-of-11 3FG and 14-of-21 FG, while also leading the team with six rebounds, five steals and two blocks… Logged her third double-double of the season with a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds against Texas A&M… Scored a game-high 26 points at LSU, adding 12 rebounds and five steal … Fractured her left pinky finger vs. Auburn and is out until mid-February… Returned to action at Arkansas after sitting out three games because of injury, scoring 20 points with three rebounds, two steals and two assists… Surpassed 1,000 career points vs. Mississippi State, recording a double-double on 26 points and 10 rebounds, as she became the second fastest to reach 1,000 points in program history … Efficient at Ole Miss playing 25 minutes and scoring 21 points going 8-of-11 from the field with 7 boards and 5 steals… Scored a game-high 24 points vs. South Carolina, adding 11 points for her sixth double-double this season… Scored a game-high 25 points vs. Georgia, including hitting 4-of-6 from the arc… Scored a game-high 26 points at Vanderbilt, including hitting 5-of-11 from long range, adding six rebounds… Howard scored a game-high 24 points against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, going 8-of-15 from the field and 5-of-8 from the arc, adding eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block… Scored 26 points vs. Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament semifinals, added seven rebounds.

2018-19 (Freshman)
Unanimous national freshman of the year after one of the best rookie seasons in program history … Averaged a team-best 16.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while she ranked second with 74 3s made and 68 steals and third with 75 assists and 22 blocks … Earned countless honors during the year, including setting the school and league record for most SEC Freshman of the Week honors in a season … put herself in elite company this season as she is only the second freshman in program history to lead the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding as a rookie, joining UK All-American Valerie Still … Scored in double figures in 26 games with 20 or more points in 10 games and five double-doubles while she was the only freshman in the country with 500+ points, 70+ 3s, 75+ assists and 65+ steals … Ranked third among freshmen nationally in points and points per game … All over nearly every UK freshman single-season record, sitting second in points, second in points per game, fourth in rebounds per game, first in 3-pointers made, third in 3-point field goal percentage, third in steals, second in double-figure scoring games and fifth in double-figure rebounding games … The first UK freshman in the Matthew Mitchell era to score at least 10 points in each of her first 10 games … Had a four-game stretch of scoring 17+ points with 19 points and five 3s against Auburn before 23 points and four 3s vs. Alabama … Followed with 18 points and 14 rebounds against Arkansas, hitting the game-winning shot with 1.3 second left and then getting a steal to clinch the win … Had 17 points with four rebounds and three steals in Kentucky’s win at top-15 ranked South Carolina … Against Missouri in the SEC Tournament, scored 21 points after halftime to charge a UK comeback finishing the game with 11 made field goals and 25 points … In season opener vs. Alabama State scored 15 points which was fifth most by a player in their varsity debut in program history … Led the team with 29 points vs. Southern, the first time a freshman scored as many since 2014, while she went 7-of-11 from 3, which tied program leader Sara Potts for most 3s scored in a game … Played key role in Paradise Jam, earned MVP of the Island Division… Played 23 minutes vs. USF, led UK with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including two 3s while she played 39 minutes vs. UCLA with 20 points, seven rebounds, six steals … In final game of the Paradise Jam vs. UNC, led UK with 25 points, including 4-of-6 from long range, 12 rebounds, which marked her first career double-double … Had five double-doubles on the year … Played 38 minutes at Louisville, led UK in scoring, rebounds and assists, with 25, 10 and six, respectively … Hit three 3s and scored 15 points in her first NCAA Tournament game vs. Princeton leading UK with five rebounds and had four assists … Led UK with 21 points at NC State in the NCAA Second Round, 15 of her 21 points were recorded in the first half with seven rebounds and three steals to lead the team in both.

High School
Named 2018 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year and Tennessee Miss Basketball after a brilliant senior season at Bradley Central High School … Was tabbed one of 24 players to the 2018 Jordan Brand Classic game, scoring 13 points to lead the White team … Was a McDonald’s All-America Game nominee and was named to 2018 Naismith Trophy Preseason and Midseason Watch Lists …  All-Star Girl’s Report ranked her as the eighth best player overall in the 2018 class evaluating her as “super athletic, leaper, strong, explosive in open court, finishes in traffic, likes up tempo game” … Five-star prospect according to ESPN.com, which ranked her as the 10th best guard and 31st best overall player in the 2018 class … ESPN.com evaluates her as, “athletic, versatile combo-guard that brings size to the back court; explosive in up-tempo game, attacks rim off dribble; elevates in mid-range game; quick-leaper, active on glass, mismatch producer; an elite prospect in the class of 2018” … ProspectsNation.com ranked her as the 18th best player in the 2018 class … Helped Bradley Central to over 30 wins as a senior including a appearance in the Class AA State Tournament … Was brilliant in leading the Bearettes to the state tournament, scoring 41 points on 16-of-25 shooting in the District 5-AAA championship before scoring 32 points on 14-of-17 shooting with six steals, five assists, four rebounds and two blocks in the Region 1-AAA quarterfinal … Also helped the Bearettes clinch the sectional championship with 27 points and 15 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season … Posted 22.2 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game, 5.3 steals per game and 4.1 assists per game as a senior shooting 54 percent from the field with 758 total points … Averaged 19.6 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game, 4.6 steals per game, 3.8 assists per game and 1.2 blocks per game as a junior … Scored 647 points in 2016-17 for the Bears, hitting 55 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3 and 74 percent from the free throw line … Her 153 steals as a junior ranked third overall in the state of Tennessee … Was named 2017 TSSAA Class AAA Miss Basketball runner up … Unanimous District 5 AAA Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017 and two-time Tennessee Sports Writer’s Association All-State honoree … Led Bradley Central to an undefeated regular season and state tournament appearance in 2016 averaging 18.5 points per game … Added 233 rebounds (6.8 per game), 154 assists, 117 steals and 47 blocks her sophomore year, hitting 56 percent from the field and 40 percent from long range … Named the Region 3-AAA MVP as a sophomore and junior … Played AAU basketball with the FBC United under coach Keisha Hunt.

Personal
Place of Birth: Chattanooga, Tenn. … Parent(s): Rhvonja “RJ” Avery and James Howard … Siblings: Two brothers, RaShawn Avery and James Howard, Jr.; Two sisters, Love Howard and Takema Sexton … Shooting Hand: Right … Major: Digital Media and Design

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