For her, it’s a transformation that comes with a big responsibility. And, the 2022 draft’s No. 1 overall pick knows how to handle it. “Being able to be an Olympian this early in my career, it’s exciting and surreal,” says Rhyne Howard, the Dream’s only third player on any Olympic roster. However, the journey doesn’t seem to have had a smooth start.

On August 2nd, Jackie Powell joined forces with Noa Dalzel to discuss Team USA’s 3×3 path. The program started off rocky, falling behind 0-3. With the loss, also suffered the 24-year-old’s performance. Dalzel speaks of the reactions she witnessed on this, which haven’t exactly been positive.

“She hasn’t looked like herself. And I’ve been seeing people that are just tuning in being like, ‘Who’s Rhyne Howard? She sucks.’ I am like you don’t even know what you are talking about,” said Noa Dalzel. For context, Howard has recorded an average of 4.2 points per game, hitting 24 points in the last 6 3×3 games. These stats place her at 14th place among 31 players across the Olympics.

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But Howard goes to point out, “She has been a great WNBA player. But this is not a question if she is good with basketball, this is a question of, ‘did she have enough time to gell with these players.'” 

Naturally, it raises the question, what happened to her? “Ryan is coming off an injury. She had some sort of ankle issue. I mean, I haven’t been watching, but have you seen her trying to find her legs a little?” said Powell earlier in the podcast. So, it’s the same reason Cameron Brink, a deserving candidate, was left off.

Rhyne Howard, a miss?

Before hitting the Olympics’ hardwood, Rhyne Howard was struggling with an ankle sprain against Minnesota. It happened during the third quarter when Howard stepped on the foot of the opponent team’s guard, Courtney Williams. But, suspiciously, she landed on Team USA’s 3×3 roster. “You move her over. There are more spots to be an Olympian in women’s basketball… she really hasn’t played a lot of 3×3. She went to one camp, I think, before the WNBA season started,” Powell remarks.

The reason? It’s her head coach. “Tanisha Wright is one of the line coaches for the five-on-five team.” Even the GM of Atlanta Dream, Dan Padover, is on the selection committee for USA basketball. Since they intended “her to be an Olympian,” she ended up being on the 3×3 roster. Despite recording 36 points across five games at Springfield Stop 2024, she seems to be struggling with her legs.

However, not to forget, Howard played a crucial role in getting Team USA their 3rd win with a clutch performance. She led with 7 points against Canada, including a 2-pointer (highest in 3*3) in overtime to seal the deal.

Although the American 3×3 roster has equaled 3-3 to recover from their three-game losing streak, they are far from claiming a gold. Currently, Team USA stands in fourth position with ninety four points and has one more game remaining in the pool. On Saturday, the team will lock horns against China.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection Silas Demary Jr.