Rhyne Howard’s long-awaited return to the Atlanta Dream lineup went from celebration to chaos in the blink of an eye. In her first game in nearly a month after a knee injury, the All-Star guard was tossed from Sunday’s 74-66 win over the Phoenix Mercury after a heated confrontation with officials.
Star’s comeback boils over in Phoenix
The drama erupted in the fourth quarter when Howard was whistled for a foul while battling through a screen. She spun toward the referees, jawing in frustration. Within seconds, she racked up two quick technical fouls and was ejected, leaving the Phoenix crowd buzzing and her teammates scrambling.
Howard’s numbers told the story of a rough shooting night, just four points, two assists, and a 0-for-7 mark from the field. But her energy and intensity were undeniable, and the ejection marked a quick end to what was supposed to be her exciting return.
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Even with Howard out, the Dream stayed locked in. Allisha Gray poured in 17 points, and Naz Hillmon and Brionna Jones each posted double-doubles to push Atlanta’s win streak to five and their record to 20-11.
Howard’s outburst will no doubt be a talking point in the days ahead. The Dream relies on her as both a scoring weapon and emotional spark, but with the playoffs approaching, Atlanta needs her on the floor, not in the locker room.
The ejection may fire her up the 25-year-old former Kentucky Wildcat, but one thing it does is fire up the fans in Atlanta, seeing their star player showing some energy for a team with title hopes.
Atlanta's next game is Wednesday in Seattle. This will mark the first of back-to-back games against the Storm, as they host them on Friday.
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