Dream's Rhyne Howard Suffers Ankle Injury vs. Lynx Ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics
Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard's status for the Paris Olympics this summer appears to be in jeopardy.
Howard, who is a member of the Team USA 3x3 team, exited Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Lynx with an apparent ankle sprain, per ESPN's Michael Voepel. The injury occurred in the third quarter of Atlanta's 68-55 loss, and head coach Tanisha Wright said after the game that Howard would be further evaluated on Thursday.
Howard's injury is another potential blow to the 3x3 team, as Los Angeles Sparks rookie forward Cameron Brink suffered a torn ACL earlier this week that will cause her to miss the remainder of the WNBA season as well as the Paris Olympics.
TCU's Hailey Van Lith and former WNBA player Cierra Burdick are the other remaining members on the roster, so USA Basketball is certainly hoping that it will only have to find one new member instead of two.
Team USA took home gold in the inaugural 3x3 tournament in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. That team included WNBA stars Allisha Gray, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum and Stefanie Dolson, and Young and Plum are members of this year's 5-on-5 Olympic team.
A two-time All-Star, Howard is averaging 15.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 steals this season. She would undoubtedly be an impact player in the Paris Olympics, so fans are hoping she could recover in time to play on the 3x3 team.
