Rhyne Howard is doing her best to soak in the Atlanta Dream'sWNBA Finals bid, but the reality of the moment brought her to tears.
On Tuesday, Howard and her Dream teammates held their final practice in Atlanta before traveling to San Francisco to face the Golden State Valkyries in Games 1 and 2 of the championship series, which begins on Saturday, Oct 17. Howard was asked about the moment she realized her team was going to the WNBA Finals.
"It didn't hit me until a little later, but when it did, it was like ... yeah," the 2022 WNBA Rookie of the Year said before her voice trailed off and she had to take a moment to gather herself. Howard wiped her eyes before completing her answer.
"We just worked so hard to get here, and it's been a rough five years. So to finally be here, it's not something we just let go (of easily)," she added.
Howard is a four-time All-Star (2022, 2023, 2025, 2026) and led the league in steals (2.3 per game) this season. She also was named second-team WNBA All-Defense in 2025 and on the All-Rookie Team in 2022.
Before this year, Howard had been to the playoffs three times with Atlanta but had never made it past the first round. Now, the Dream are in the Finals for the first time since 2013. The Dream guard has averaged 19.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 steals in five playoff games leading up to the Finals.
The best part of being in sports media is getting to see these athletes grow, achieve more success & reach milestones they’ve dreamed of for some time.
— JJ (@JameelahJNBA) October 14, 2026
So when I asked Dream’s Rhyne Howard about the moment she knew they were going to the WNBA Finals, I got emotional with her. pic.twitter.com/gYEQpqQKiF
"We really got here when it was gutted. Like we brought in the drywall. So, it just feels great to see how much work we put in," Dream forward Naz Hillmon said in April when the team spoke about building something bigger with the addition of Angel Reese. Hillmon was also drafted in 2022 with the 15th overall pick.
"And, you know, people wanted to come to Atlanta and be a part of the culture and be a part of what we're building. To see it really from the start, when it felt like just us, it's been great to be a part of it. It really feels like we helped build it, and not just kind of going along for the ride."
Reese was also complimentary of Howard and the leader she has been as the Dream push for a title.
“She’s a sneaky assassin. Even when she wasn’t shooting the ball well (on Oct. 4 against New York), she continued to pour into everybody and continued to be there for everyone. It just goes to show how great of a leader she is,” Reese said on Oct. 6.
“She’s been here from the beginning in Atlanta, and I always tell her — when (Allisha Gray went down), I was like, ‘We’re doing this for you. We’re doing this for (Allisha) because you guys have poured and done a lot for Atlanta, and you guys deserve this moment.'”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dream's Rhyne Howard can't hold back tears over WNBA Finals breakthrough