Karl Smesko has given one peculiar nickname to Rhyne Howard – “Rhyne or Die”. And it makes sense when you look back at the mindset she entered this season with. “I want to be in the MVP conversation,” Howard told The Next at the Dream’s preseason media day. “I want to be on an All-WNBA team and WNBA All-Defensive team. I think the people around me are going to hold me to that standard.” Her resolve is commendable, but if she hopes to stay in that race, today’s game might’ve just taught her an important lesson.

Rhyne Howard injured herself in the second quarter against the Indiana Fever, with 7:37 remaining on the clock. Howard and Lexie Hull both went all out for a loose ball, colliding mid-air before hitting the floor. While Hull quickly got back on her feet, Howard remained down, holding her knee in clear discomfort. That moment sent panic among the Atlanta Dream fans.

Howard had just made her return to the Dream team in their last game against the Golden State Valkyries on July 7, after sitting out a game due to an upper-body injury. That injury originally occurred during Atlanta’s match against the New York Liberty on June 29, where Howard exited early and didn’t return. She then went on to miss the game against the Storm – a match the team ended up losing without her.

At the time of the injury, Howard had played 12 minutes, recording five points, two rebounds, and one assist. The Dream was trailing by just one point when she went down. The worst part? The Gray-Howard duo has been the driving force for Atlanta this season, so her injury was definitely a cause for concern. Naturally, fans were deeply concerned after watching the footage. The injury looked serious, and social media was flooded with prayers and well-wishes from all over the world.

Prayers pour in for Rhyne Howard after her injury scare

“Hope Rhyne Howard is good 🙏🏾 Didn’t look good,” one fan wrote after witnessing the scary moment unfold. Another echoed the same sentiment, saying, “I hope Rhyne Howard is ok 😭😭.” As soon as the injury occurred, Howard was seen grabbing her knee in pain. The coaching staff had to assist her off the court for immediate treatment. Given how things looked, fans being worried about her was justified. They were preparing themselves to hear the worst.

More fans joined in. “Just saw Rhyne Howard’s knee injury!! 😬 Hope it looked worse than it actually was! 🙏🏽” one user wrote, while another added, “Prayers up for @howard_rhyne 🙏.” Well, looks like those prayers worked! According to Chloe Peterson, just before the second half began, Howard reappeared from the locker room and started warming up, looking as if she hadn’t missed a beat. Keen-eyed fans noticed a brace on her left leg, but it didn’t seem to hold her back. If anything, it looked like the added support boosted her confidence. She then came out strong in the third quarter, adding nine more points, including three of four from beyond the arc. Also, talking about that brace, that is probably the lesson.

All season long, Howard had frequently been seen wearing a heavy brace on her left knee, as a precaution from a previous injury. But during the game against the Fever, the 25-year-old chose to forgo the brace, sporting only a compression sleeve on the same leg where the brace is usually strapped. So thankfully, that brace made the return with her.

“Hope Rhyne Howard is good. Def one of my favorite players in this league,” one fan said. And having Howard as one of your favorite players isn’t really a bad thing. Now in her fourth WNBA season, the number 1 overall pick from the 2022 draft has firmly cemented herself as one of the league’s top shooting guards. Already a three-time All-Star, Howard is averaging 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game this season. Her impact has been massive in helping the Dream secure 12 wins so far.

Lastly, one fan wrote, “hope everything’s ok with rhyne f— injuries man can we just end this season already start over in august or some sh–.” Sadly, that’s been the theme of this season. Injuries. With more games on the schedule following the addition of the Golden State Valkyries and no increase in roster size, players have crumbled with the rise in physical demands.

Courtney Vandersloot, Tyasha Harris, and Karlie Samuelson have all been ruled out for the season with serious injuries. Caitlin Clark, Jonquel Jones, and A’ja Wilson have also missed multiple games due to injuries. While Howard escaped without getting a serious injury, if the league doesn’t work on protecting its players, these injury concerns are only going to grow.