For Rhyne Howard, the game of basketball is a world she has been surrounded by for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Cleveland, Tennessee, Rhyne recalls starting her athletic journey in the sport when she was just in third grade and feeling ecstatic about the opportunity to play the game she and her family loved. Determined to leave her mark on the game, Rhyne challenged herself year after year to strengthen her skills on the court. She was all in. As she began her high school career at Bradley Central High School, Rhyne immersed herself further in perfecting her craft. Training early morning and late nights, she was committed to elevating her game on the floor and expanding her basketball IQ. After a stellar high school basketball career—where she earned a series of honors including being named the 2018 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year and Tennessee Miss Basketball—Rhyne embarked on her collegiate journey at the University of Kentucky. She hasn’t looked back since. Over the past three years, Rhyne has continued her outstanding performance on the court and quickly become a force to be reckoned with in all of college basketball. From becoming a three-time USA Gold Medalist to winning the SEC Freshman of the Year Award after a record-breaking rookie year to being named the SEC Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, Rhyne has raised the bar year after year. Currently in her senior season, Rhyne is looking forward to fostering her legacy further, working towards both a SEC and National Championship, and being a great leader both on and off the floor.
Let's dive into your journey early on! You went to Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, TN—where you earned an array of accolades including the Gatorade Player of the Year Award and the Tennessee Miss Basketball Award. What did earning these accolades mean to you?
Gatorade Player of the Year and Miss Tennessee were just great as a whole because that is like a whole state type of deal. Out of everyone in Tennessee, they thought that I had played the best and had the best career. It was good. It was just a great confidence boost to have going into college. You know, one of: “Maybe I am kind of good at (basketball) and other people are noticing it too.”
As you embarked on that next chapter and began your career at the University of Kentucky, how was that transition from high school to college like for you?
At first, it was very tough. You know, trying to get the pace of the game, working on different speeds, and the physicality (of the game). But overall, I think that it wasn't terrible and I had a pretty good transition going from high school to college. I feel like my talent and knowledge carried over as well, which helped me end up having a pretty good season my freshman year.
You touched on the speed of the game being one of those early challenges. What were some additional ones that you faced and how did you work to overcome them?
I would definitely say being in shape and time management were hard. Those were the two biggest things for me. With time management, we always have a lot of resources here to help us make sure we're where we need to be at all times. We have our schedule planned out way ahead of time to make sure that everyone knows what you're supposed to be doing at what time. Everyone can see that (as well) so other people can help you stay accountable. Then for conditioning, it was just doing a lot of running with our strength and conditioning coach. He always made sure that we were in the best position to be in shape by the time the games came.
In addition to this, you have also won three gold medals and an MVP honor with Team USA. Tell us a little bit more about what those experiences were like for you.
It was always fun! All three times I had a great time. No team was the same. It was just great to be with people who you don't see everyday, making new friendships (with them), and building new bonds. The experience overall was great because I learned from other coaches, and got to see their take on the game and what they look for in their own teams. Having that experience (playing) overseas—where it's a lot more physical than it is in college—, competing against grown women and people who were older than me, and then bringing it back to college was great from a leadership standpoint. I could then use (my experiences) to help my teammates and know what to expect myself.
Reflecting back on your time at Kentucky thus far, how do you think your game has elevated?