Rhyne Howard Leads USA Basketball in Olympics Qualifying Tournament

Florida Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach Rhyne Howard led Team USA to a 3-0 record in the 2024 Olympics Qualifying Tournament that wrapped up Sunday.

Florida Assistant Coach Rhyne Howard

In October 2023, Rhyne Howard was hired as an assistant coach for the Gators. Howard is a current player for the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA, having played two seasons after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft. Her role as assistant coach spans throughout the WNBA off-season.

Howard won every WNBA Rookie of the Month honor enroute to being named WNBA Rookie of The Year. She has also been named to the All-Star Game twice. Howard was a star at Kentucky for four seasons before turning pro. Her professional career and experience in college basketball makes her the ideal role model for the Gators.

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USA Basketball

As if coaching the Florida Gators and playing in the WNBA wasn’t enough, Rhyne Howard competed in the 2024 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Antwerp, Belgium. USA Basketball played three games, going 3-0. Howard led the team in scoring with 19.5 points per game, culminating in a 25-point outing against Senegal on Sunday.

The most impressive part is that her 25-point game came in just 15 minutes and off the bench.

Team USA Head Coach Cheryl Reeve praised Howard after Sunday’s win. “If [players] are on the team, you know that you may not see steady, consistent minutes,” she said. “You got to be ready at the drop of a hat if you go in, and Rhyne did that for us.”

While Team USA had already qualified to play in the Olympics prior to the tournament, they certainly sent a message to the rest of the countries. Team USA qualified after winning the FIBA World Cup in 2022.

2024 Olympics

With Team USA qualifying for the Summer Olympics in 2024, they turn their focus to repeating as World Champions. The United States has won the last seven Olympic tournaments in a row. Team USA are heavy favorites to add another gold medal to the collection. The Women’s Olympic Basketball Tournament will take place from July 27th to August 11th in Paris.