Rhyne Howard’s mother, Rhvonja “RJ” Avery, played basketball at the University of Florida.
The Atlanta Dream’s shooting guard Rhyne Howard and Caitlin Clark got caught up in the heat of the game late in the first quarter of the Fever’s 81-76 win over the Dream on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
They shoved into one another before exchanging words at center court, and teammates rushed between them.
Howard picked up a foul while attempting to guard Clark, which irritated the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, who shoved her shoulder into Howard’s body, leading to the extracurriculars.
The TV cameras captured Clark saying in the direction of Howard, “I’m not scared of you.”
Howard attempted to argue to a referee that the call should have gone the other way, but officials did not hand out any fouls related to the brief interaction.
The Fever took the game and got a bit of revenge after the Dream won on Tuesday night, 91-90.
Rhyne Howard’s Parents Inspired Her To Build Her Career In Basketball
Born on April 29, 2000, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Rhyne Howard, 26, is the daughter of American parents, James Howard and Rhvonja “RJ” Avery.
Although her father, James, has avoided the media spotlight, he introduced Rhyne to basketball.
On the other hand, Rhyne’s mother, Rhvonja, is a former collegiate basketball player.
She played for the Florida Gators from 1987 to 1991 and was captain in the 1990-91 season.
Avery ranks in the top 10 for career steals with 192, holds a .521 field goal percentage, and is 13th in rebounds with 777.
Rhvonja was the eighth-fastest Gator to score 1,000 points in 76 games. She made history by competing in the 1989 US Olympic Festival.
Following Rhvonja’s basketball career, Rhyne was also inspired to pursue her career in basketball.
When Howard was a sophomore at Bradley Central High School in Tennessee, girls’ basketball coach Jason Reuter once confronted him over poor play.
Afterward, Howard’s mother told Reuter he wasn’t hard enough on her daughter and threatened to withdraw her from the program.
In addition, witnessing her mother push for her success also inspired her to pursue coaching.
During one of the interviews, Rhyne talked about her mother’s sacrifices. She said,
“Watching my mom make tons of sacrifices for me and always trying to do what’s best for me, even if that meant taking on another job, [and] seeing the strength she could maintain while caring for me, I had somebody great to look up to,”
Rhyne Howard
Shooting Guard Rhyne Howard Has Two Brothers And Two Sisters
Rhyne grew up with her two brothers, ReShawn Avery and James Howard Jr., and two sisters, Love Howard and Takema Sexton.
Love Howard is a standout Bradley Central High School senior making waves on the basketball court as a versatile 5’8″ guard and forward.
Wearing jersey #10, she played a significant role on the varsity team, contributing as both a shooting guard and small forward.
Happy birthday Big Sis pic.twitter.com/xngcPjknVv
— Love Alee Howard (@LoveHoward16) April 29, 2025
On April 29, 2025, Love wished Rhyne a happy birthday through her official Twitter handle. She wrote,
Happy birthday Big Sis
Love Howard
However, Rhyne’s siblings have stayed out of the media spotlight, so little information about their personal lives is known.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Rhyne Howard is a member of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority. She was initiated through the Iota Mu chapter at the University of Kentucky.
- She played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats and graduated from Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tennessee, in 2018. The Dream drafted her first overall in the 2022 WNBA draft.
- On July 16, 2024, it was announced that Howard would appear and play in the inaugural season of Unrivaled, a new women’s 3-on-3 basketball league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.
