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WNBA Atlanta Dream

Rhyne Howard's Mid-Range Jumper Was Unstoppable against Indiana

August 7, 2023 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Atlanta Dream News Release


COLLEGE PARK: Two-time All-Star Rhyne Howard demonstrated her offensive prowess against the Indiana Fever on Sunday, scoring 24 points, shooting 50% from the field, and playing a team-high 36 minutes. The efficiency was impressive, but what was even more outstanding was how Howard scored. In a league pushing more towards 3-pointers and points in the paint, Howard demonstrated why mastering the mid-range is still a valuable way to score.

Of her nine made field goals, five came from the mid-range, three from deep, and only one was a drive to the basket. Howard only utilized two of the three scoring levels on Sunday, but because of her speed, strength, and ability to shoot from deep, the midrange jumper was often the most open look she could get. This is typically a shot defenses want you to take, but in Howard's case, it's a shot she excels in making. Not only does Howard embrace taking the mid-range jumper, she often adds difficulty by implementing a fadeaway, making it that much harder to block.

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With three minutes left in the game against the Fever, the win was in jeopardy as the Atlanta Dream's 12-point advantage shrunk to 5. Then Howard went to work.

She received a dribble handoff from Cheyenne Parker and immediately took the 20-foot jumper to extend the lead to seven. On the next possession, Atlanta ran another dribble handoff to Howard, but this time she put the ball on the floor, drove to the basket, picked up her dribble, and used her footwork to create separation from Fever defender Lexie Hull scoring on another left side fadeaway. Howard shook her head in disbelief at her own play as the basket all but sealed the win with under two minutes left.

Postgame, a reporter, described this moment as Howard utilizing her "superpower," and she had a great response on what her superpower really is. "The ability to stay focused and stay poised when the game is getting tough," Howard said. "Being able to continue to show my teammates I'm still in this game and I'm not gonna let anything happen for us to lose."

With Howard's superpowers fully activated, Atlanta will be a team to defend come playoff time.

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