Dream star Rhyne Howard to miss rest of July with left knee injury
The 25-year-old is expected to make a full recovery, the Dream said in a statement, though they did not provide a specific date for when she will return. Howard did not play in Atlanta's road loss to the New York Liberty on Sunday and will miss at least the next six games to end the month.
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'It's going to have to be more than one person (who steps up with her out),' Dream coach Karl Smesko said. 'We're gonna miss (Howard), obviously, an All-Star, one of the best players in the league.'
The Dream are 12-9, three wins shy of tying their win total from last season. They were in fifth place in the WNBA standings entering Monday night's games.
Howard, who is averaging 16.5 points, 4.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds this season, recently earned her third All-Star selection. However, since she will not participate in the All-Star Game on Saturday night in Indianapolis, the league will likely name a replacement. Howard's teammate, center Brionna Jones, should be on the short list of injury replacement candidates.
Howard's injury occurred in the second quarter of the Dream's loss to the Fever. After Fever star Caitlin Clark shot a deep 3-pointer early in the frame, Howard tried to chase down the rebound, but after she jumped to grab the ball, she planted awkwardly on her left leg as she returned to the floor and immediately went down in pain.
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The Dream eventually gained possession on a Brittney Griner rebound, but Howard remained on the ground as she clutched her left knee. The Dream called a timeout to check on Howard, who tried to walk off under her own power, though she couldn't continue after taking a few steps. Two Dream staffers carried Howard back to the locker room. She returned to the court with a brace and started the third quarter. Howard drilled three 3s in the period and finished with 14 points in 25 minutes, but she was visibly limping in the second half.
Howard, the 2022 No. 1 pick, has been an essential part of the Dream's strong season. Her 56 3-pointers were a league high entering Monday night's contests. Maya Caldwell started in place of Howard in Sunday's loss.
— 's Ben Pickman contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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