The Future of Atlanta

The Dream made a big move in the 2022 draft, trading away their third and 14th overall picks for the first overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, acquiring Howard. Since then, it has been a perfect match.

Howard was announced as the league’s Rookie of the Year on Thursday. It was a landslide victory for Howard; she received 53 of 56 votes.

From #1 overall pick to ROTY👑@howard_rhyne is your 2022 @Kia #WNBA Rookie of the Year 🙌

Howard averaged 16.2 PPG , 4.5 RPG , and 2.8 APG, while leading all rookies in points, assists, steals (1.59) and MPG (31.3) 👏#MoreThan pic.twitter.com/Gwa4XnblB8

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 25, 2022

According to ESPN, during her rookie season campaign, Howard averaged 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1,6 steals in 31.3 minutes while starting 34 games, leading all rookies in points, assists, steals, and minutes per game.

It would be very remiss not to mention Head Coach Tanisha Wright. She was named AP Coach of the Year, becoming the first former WNBA player to do so. Wright led Atlanta to a fifth-place finish in her first season with the team.

The Dream’s 14-22 record was nearly double their win total from the year before when they won just eight games.

Under Wright’s coaching, Howard played well enough to be a WNBA All-Star and make the WNBA All-Rookie Team.

The critics can point to the front office and coaching changes in the past, but the new owners have made sweeping changes since taking over and got it right in the end.

The Atlanta Dream has progressed much since Wright and Howard came to the city.