Three-time WNBA All-Star Rhyne Howard returned to the court Friday night to help the Atlanta Dream secure an 86-69 win against the Dallas Wings.
Howard was sidelined during the Dream’s game against the Las Vegas Aces last Sunday due to concussion protocol, but didn’t miss a beat against the Wings, leading both teams in scoring with 25 points, four rebounds and eight assists.
In the postgame press conference, Howard joined two-time All-Star Angel Reese to answer questions about their performance. After getting through the typical game-day questions and discussing their mindset throughout different moments of the matchup, the pair couldn’t hold back a few jokes when reporter Jameelah Johnson asked if they had developed team nicknames for each other.
Howard remarked that they didn’t have nicknames established yet.
“Karl (Smesko) calls her Rhy Time,” Reese answered while gesturing to Howard with a smirk and eye roll. She then paused for a second to think before continuing. “Actually, your nickname is Permission.”
She and Howard shared a knowing look as a few chuckles came from the media members in the room. Reese then looked back toward the crowd and asked, “Any more questions?”
That was when the room erupted in laughter before Howard jokingly responded, “They (the media) don’t get permission to ask anymore questions,” before the two players got up and joined the laughing crowd as they exited.
On Friday night, Howard showed why “The Permission” is a perfect nickname.
- On the court, Howard’s 35 minutes turned into Dallas’ nightmare. She showed efficiency on both ends of the court with four steals and two blocks added to her offensive production. Dallas’ Paige Bueckers struggled to neutralize Howard or get past her defensively, finishing with the fewest points scored in her WNBA career so far with seven.
- Howard’s “no permission granted” mentality on the court was also paired with a strong Atlanta defense that opened the game with intensity, holding Dallas scoreless until just over three minutes remained in the first quarter, when rookie Azzi Fudd knocked down a 3-pointer to put the Wings on the board.
Atlanta finished even stronger after Dallas briefly took a one-point lead in the fourth quarter, 64-63. The Dream used that as fuel to go on a 23-5 run to close out the win.
The humor surrounding the nickname also references a preseason online episode, in which Howard responded to a fan who posted her media day pictures on Twitter/X. Howard expressed her displeasure, noting in a (now-deleted) post that it was a second year in a row that she had not been able to share her photos before others had done so. The moment gained traction on social media, with some WNBA fans agreeing with Howard and others criticizing her reaction.
When Reese took the opportunity to joke with Howard during the press conference, it highlighted the chemistry the two have already built as teammates, showing they not only have each other’s backs but also can put a lighthearted spin on a what had been negative situation.
