Rhyne Howard’s Finals impact has become the central question for the Atlanta Dream as they chase the franchise’s first championship. With leading scorer Allisha Gray sidelined since injuring her left hand in the semifinal opener against the New York Liberty, Howard’s production carries more weight than it did at any point in Atlanta’s run to its first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013.
The guard finished the regular season with 134 three-pointers, one shy of Kelsey Mitchell’s single-season WNBA record, according to theScore. She also led all players in total steals. Those two numbers, taken together, explain why Atlanta’s coaching staff has built so much of its offensive and defensive identity around her.
Howard’s Scoring Burden Grows Without Gray
Gray averaged 19 points per game during the regular season and had not returned to action since her hand injury, per theScore. That absence shifts scoring responsibility toward Howard and the rest of Atlanta’s perimeter group. The Dream’s offense ranked first in the playoff field at 92.6 points per game, a figure built with Gray in the lineup for most of the postseason. Replicating anything close to that number without her leading scorer puts Howard’s shot creation squarely in the spotlight.
Howard’s near-record three-point total from the regular season suggests she can carry a heavier shooting load if Atlanta’s offense needs a reliable high-volume scorer. Nothing in the available reporting details how her shooting has translated specifically to the Finals, but the regular-season volume establishes her as the player most equipped to absorb Gray’s scoring gap.
Defense And Turnovers As A Team-Wide Weapon
Howard’s value is not limited to shot-making. She finished the regular season first in total steals, and in the playoffs she ranked first on the team in that category, with Jordin Canada second and Angel Reese third, according to theScore. That spread shows Atlanta’s defensive pressure is not a one-player system, but Howard sits at the top of it.
That pressure has translated into results. The Dream lead the playoff field in points off turnovers at 24.4 per game and average 10.4 steals in the postseason. Howard’s standing atop the steals leaderboard ties directly to those team totals, meaning her activity level on defense feeds Atlanta’s transition offense, which matters even more if the halfcourt scoring load is heavier without Gray.
A Roster Built Around Multiple Two-Way Threats
General Manager Dan Padover’s roster construction drafted Howard as part of a broader team-building strategy, according to Front Office Sports, and the current group reflects that approach. Allisha Gray, Canada and Reese, acquired in the offseason from the Chicago Sky, surround Howard with multiple players capable of scoring and generating takeaways. That depth means Howard does not have to operate as a lone engine, even with Gray out, since Canada and Reese both rank among the team’s top three in steals.
This matters for how opponents game-plan against Atlanta. A defense that keys on Howard alone still has to account for Canada’s ball pressure and Reese’s activity on the glass and in passing lanes. The Dream’s turnover-generation numbers suggest that collective pressure, not just Howard’s individual totals, is what has carried Atlanta this deep.
The Counterpoint: Gray’s Absence Is A Real Limiter
The strongest argument against overstating Howard’s singular impact is the hole Gray’s absence leaves. She was Atlanta’s leading scorer during the regular season, and no source indicates a timetable for her return. If Gray remains out for the rest of the Finals, Atlanta loses a proven 19-point scorer, and Howard’s own efficiency could be tested by defenses that shift extra attention her way simply because fewer other high-volume scoring options remain available. The sources do not detail how Golden State has specifically defended Howard, so any assumption about matchup-specific adjustments would be speculation beyond what has been reported.
What To Watch Next
Atlanta’s postseason turnaround is notable on its own terms. The franchise, introduced in 2008, had not won a playoff series since 2016 before this run, according to Front Office Sports, and the Dream reached the Finals by sweeping the Liberty in the semifinals. How Howard performs as the series continues, particularly in shot volume and steal totals, will be a clear signal of whether Atlanta’s top-ranked offense and turnover-forcing defense can hold up without its leading scorer. Updates on Gray’s availability remain the other variable to track as the series progresses.
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