COLLEGE PARK, GA ― Rhyne Howard's 3-point shooting has put her in the WNBA record books.
On Thursday, during a matchup against the Connecticut Sun, the Atlanta Dream star broke a league record for most 3-point shots made in a single season (129 in 41 games). The record, previously owned by New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (128 in 36 games), has stood since 2023.
Howard's record-breaking shot against the Sun came at the 6:45 mark of the fourth quarter. Howard was 0-for-8 before she finally drained the record-breaking shot. After she made it, she held her hands up as if to say, "finally!" and sat on the bench exasperated. Her teammates later showered her in 3-point celebrations after she checked out the game.
The 26-year-old has been setting
records all season. With her 100th made 3-pointer of 2026 on Aug. 10, Howard became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 100 triples in a season. She achieved the milestone in 31 games. The former Kentucky Wildcat broke the previous record of 33 games, which she shared with Diana Taurasi. On June 11, with her first made 3-pointer against New York, Howard became the youngest player in WNBA history to make 400 career 3s. She reached the mark in 147 games.
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With her 129th three of the season, Rhyne Howard now holds the WNBA record for most 3-pointers made in a single season!
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In 2025, Howard's name was added to the list for 3-point field goals made in a single game. She's one of six players in league history who have drained the second-most shots beyond the arc (nine). The Atlanta guard achieved the feat twice: on June 13, 2025, against Chicago and Sept. 5, 2025, against Los Angeles. Minnesota's Kayla McBride owns the record with 10.
Howard, drafted by the Dream in 2022 with the No. 1 overall pick, is a four-time WNBA All-Star and was the 2022 Rookie of the Year. She's currently averaging a career-high in points (18.3), field goal percentage (41%), 3-point shooting percentage (36.7%) and steals (2.4 per game) while adding 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per matchup. Howard's more than two steals per game lead the WNBA.
"Usually (when) you think of somebody (having) a 3-point record, that would be like the main part of their game, but (Rhyne Howard) does so much," Dream coach Karl Smeso said. "She's in the All-Defensive Team talks and should be. She should definitely be on the All-Defensive Team. And then, what she can do from getting downhill (to) assists, keeping everybody involved. Really good screener. She just does it all. So, it's nice that she's having the best season of her career."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rhyne Howard breaks Sabrina Ionescu's WNBA single-season 3-point record
