'They Needed Her' – ESPN Analyst Puts Rhyne Howard on Notice As Dream Star's Inconsistency Costs Atlanta in Game 1 of Finals Mohamed Rizvi Sun, October 18, 2026 at 5:39 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Atlanta Dream lost Game 1 of the WNBA Finals to the Golden State Valkyries 68-64 on Saturday, scoring eight points in the fourth quarter. Rhyne Howard shot 3-of-14 from the field in the loss. ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike is the latest to weigh in on the Dream guard.
On Sunday's episode of her podcast "Chiney Today", the two-time WNBA All-Star focused on Howard's role in the Dream's offense this postseason.
Ogwumike started with the second quarter, when Gabby Williams got going and the Valkyries scored 28 points. Williams had 16 of her game-high 26 points in that period.
Turning to the Dream, Ogwumike said she has one issue with them, with Allisha Gray going: "Rhyne Howard has not been able to be integrated as we've seen her in the regular season this postseason."
"Angel's going to do her thing," Ogwumike said of Angel Reese , adding that Gray does the same anytime she steps on the floor. "But for some reason, it's been a little bit slower to get Rhyne going."
Gray led the Dream with 19 points Saturday. It was her first game back from a finger injury that kept her out of the last two games of the semifinals.
Howard finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes, going 2-of-9 from 3-point range. She was 1-of-5 from the field in the first half and 0-of-4 in the fourth quarter, when all of her points came at the free-throw line.
Her last two free throws put the Dream ahead 64-61, and they did not score again. With the Dream down one, Howard missed a 3-pointer with 1:09 left.
Gray missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 9 seconds left. Williams sealed the win with two free throws with 4.1 seconds remaining.
The cold shooting goes back to the semifinals. Howard scored 16, 18 and 21 points in the Dream's three-game sweep of the New York Liberty, but she shot 17-of-61 in those games. Over her last four games, she is 20-of-75 from the field and 9-of-33 from 3-point range.
In 43 regular-season games, she averaged 17.7 points while shooting 40.5% from the field and 35.5% from deep.
READ MORE: 'What Is Rhyne Howard's Excuse?' 'Spare (Allisha) Gray the Heat' – Dream Duo's Offensive Nightmare in Game 1 Collapse Splits WNBA Fans
Dream coach Karl Smesko praised the Valkyries' defense after the game. He also said he is confident Howard and others will have big games for the Dream.
Howard said the Valkyries forced the Dream into a kind of basketball they don't play and that the Dream failed to push back. She said the team will have to watch the film and make adjustments. Game 2 on Monday at Chase Center is the Dream's first chance to show them.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
Source: Sports
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