Natasha Howard (born September 2, 1991) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was f ...

of the

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...

(WNBA) and

Dynamo Kursk WBC Dynamo Kursk (russian: ЖБК «Динамо» Курск) is a Russian women's basketball club from Kursk playing in the Russian Premier League. They won their first FIBA Eurocup title in 2012. In the 2016–17 season, Kursk won the EuroLea ...

of the

Russian Premier League The Russian Premier League (RPL; russian: Российская премьер-лига; РПЛ), also written as Russian Premier Liga, is the top division professional association football league in Russia. It was established at the end of 2001 ...

. Howard was the 2019 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She was drafted in 2014 by the

Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the 2000 season began. The team is owned ...

. Born in

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

, she played college basketball for

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

, where she finished sixth in the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

for

field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...

percentage.

Florida State statistics

Source

WNBA career

Howard was selected 5th overall by the Indiana Fever in the

2014 WNBA Draft The 2014 WNBA season, 2014 Women's National Basketball Association, WNBA WNBA draft, draft is the league's annual draft (sports), process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was ...

. Howard started off the 2014 season hot scoring 16 points and 21 points in her first two games as a professional. The 21 point performance was a career high in points. After her rookie season in Indiana, Howard averaged 7.0 points and 3.1 rebounds. During her second season with Indiana, Howard regressed in both points and rebounding, averaging 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds. The only times that Howard scored in double figures were an August 4 loss to the

Chicago Sky The Chicago Sky are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 20 ...

, when she scored 13 points, and on a September 1 win against the

Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was established ...

, when she scored 10 points. During her second season, the

Fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a body temperature, temperature above the human body temperature, normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, set point. There is not a single ...

reached the

WNBA Finals The WNBA Finals are the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002. Starting 2016 Verizon is the officia ...

, where they faced off against the

Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Founded pr ...

. The Fever ultimately lost the series 3–2, but Howard didn't miss a single shot throughout the entire Finals, going 8 for 8 from the floor in five games. On February 2, 2016, the Fever traded Howard to the

in a sign-and-trade deal to acquire

Devereaux Peters Devereaux Peters (born October 8, 1989) is an American basketball forward with WBC Dynamo Novosibirsk of the Russian women's league. Peters played at Notre Dame, where she was Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2012. She led ...

. During her first season with the Lynx, Howard was part of the post rotation that included

Sylvia Fowles Sylvia Shaqueria Fowles (born October 6, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. Fowles played for the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx during her career in the WNBA. She won the WNBA MVP Award in 2017 and the WNBA Defensive Pl ...

Rebekkah Brunson Rebekkah Brunson (born December 11, 1981) is an American basketball coach, currently an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Brunson is a former forward for the Lynx and is the only playe ...

, and

Janel McCarville Janel McCarville (born November 3, 1982) is an American professional basketball player from Custer, Wisconsin who is currently a WNBA free agent. High school years Born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, McCarville attended Stevens Point Area Senio ...

. She became a key contributor off the bench for the Lynx the entire season. In her first game against Indiana since the trade, Howard scored 11 points, on 5–5 shooting, and grabbed 3 rebounds. She matched her career high of 21 points in a July 2 win against the

San Antonio Stars The San Antonio Stars were a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Utah Starzz before the ...

. Howard, once again, reached the WNBA Finals for the 2nd consecutive season, although she fell short once again falling to the

Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was foun ...

3–2. In her second season with the Lynx, Howard continued with her bench role, contributing with her scoring and rebounding, helping the Lynx back to championship contention. The Lynx made it back to the Finals, making it Howard's third appearance in the finals. This time in a finals rematch against the Sparks, the Lynx won in five games, earning Howard her first championship. On February 7, 2018, Howard was traded to the

Seattle Storm The Seattle Storm are an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The Storm competes in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was founded by Ginger Ackerl ...

in exchange for a second round pick in the

2018 WNBA Draft The 2018 WNBA draft was the WNBA, league's draft for the 2018 WNBA season. On March 12, the league announced the draft would be held on April 12 at Nike, Inc., Nike New York City, New York Headquarters, a recently opened secondary headquarters for ...

. In the 2018 season, Howard would be the starting power forward for the Storm. She would have the best season of her career in Seattle as she averaged career-highs in scoring, blocks, rebounds, assists and steals. Howard would also be named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team and was second in the league in blocks. The Storm finished with a league-best 26–8 record. They would receive a double-bye to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals series, the Storm would defeat the

Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the league ...

in five games advancing to the Finals, making this Howard's fourth consecutive finals appearance. In the Finals, the Storm would defeat the

Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was founded pri ...

in a three-game sweep. In Game 3, Howard scored a new career-high 29 points along with 14 rebounds. In 2019, Howard would have a breakout season. She would be voted into the

2019 WNBA All-Star Game The 2019 WNBA All-Star Game was an exhibition game, exhibition basketball game played on July 27, 2019. The Las Vegas Aces hosted the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time. Rosters Selection On June 12, the WNBA announced that 2019 would simila ...

, making it her first all-star appearance. On July 17, 2019, Howard scored a new career-high 33 points in a 90–79 victory over the Minnesota Lynx. Howard would finish the season average a new career-high in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals. She was made a WNBA All-Star and named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team for the second time while also winning the

WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award The Women's National Basketball Association's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the league's inaugural season -- 1997, to the top defensive player of the regular season ...

. The Storm finished as the number 6 seed with an 18–16 record. The Storm however were unable to defend their title in the playoffs as they were eliminated in the second round elimination game by the Los Angeles Sparks. In 2020, the season was delayed and shortened to 22 games in a bubble at

IMG Academy IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a board ...

due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. Howard played all 22 games, the Storm had a fully active roster with everyone healthy and available as they finished the season 18–4 with the number 2 seed, receiving a double-bye to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals they would defeat the Minnesota Lynx in a three-game sweep, going back to the Finals for the second time in three years. In the Finals, the Storm would sweep the

Las Vegas Aces The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conferenc ...

to win the series, earning Howard her third WNBA championship. In 2021, Howard was acquired by the

in a three-team trade deal.Liberty Trade Top Scorer but Add the All-Star Natasha Howard Kia Nurse, the team's leading scorer last season, is headed to Phoenix. The Liberty also sent the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft to Seattle as part of the deal for Howard.
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WNBA career statistics

Regular season

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2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

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Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, 34 , , 15 , , 17.0 , , .443 , , .000 , , .594 , , 3.1 , , 0.6 , , 0.8 , , 0.6 , , 1.5 , , 7.0 , - , align="left" ,

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

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, 30 , , 2 , , 11.4 , , .379 , , .000 , , .721 , , 2.6 , , 0.4 , , 0.4 , , 0.4 , , 0.9 , , 4.2 , - , align="left" ,

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

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Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, 34 , , 1 , , 14.6 , , .574 , , .200 , , .677 , , 3.6 , , 0.8 , , 0.7 , , 0.7 , , 1.1 , , 6.7 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

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, 34 , , 0 , , 11.7 , , .484 , , .214 , , .733 , , 2.4 , , 0.7 , , 0.5 , , 0.6 , , 0.7 , , 4.3 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

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Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, 34 , , 33 , , 25.6 , , .547 , , .327 , , .798 , , 6.4 , , 1.0 , , 1.2 , , 1.9 , , 1.8 , , 13.2 , - , align="left" ,

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, align="left" ,

, 34 , , 34 , , 31.3 , , .439 , , .308 , , .810 , , 8.2 , , 2.1 , , 2.1 , , 1.7 , , 2.9 , , 18.1 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

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, 22 , , 22 , , 21.0 , , .530 , , .350 , , .778 , , 7.1 , , 1.0 , , 1.7 , , 0.6 , , 2.1 , , 9.5 , - , align="left" ,

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

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New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, 13 , , 13 , , 27.5 , , .494 , , .333 , , .774 , , 7.2 , , 1.7 , , 1.3 , , 0.5 , , 3.8 , , 16.2 , - , align="left" , Career , align="left" , 8 years, 4 teams , 235 , , 120 , , 19.4 , , .483 , , .308 , , .749 , , 4.8 , , 1.0 , , 1.1 , , 1.0 , , 1.7 , , 9.5

Postseason

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, 4 , , 0 , , 3.7 , , .167 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.5 , , 1.0 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 9 , , 0 , , 7.1 , , .917 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 0.6 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 0.1 , , 0.5 , , 2.8 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 8 , , 0 , , 13.0 , , .700 , , .000 , , .429 , , 2.6 , , 0.6 , , 0.8 , , 0.1 , , 0.7 , , 5.6 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

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, 7 , , 0 , , 5.6, , .200 , , .000 , , .800 , , 0.9 , , 0.0 , , 0.2 , , 0.0 , , 0.5 , , 1.1 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

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, 8 , , 8 , , 31.5 , , .573 , , .500 , , .850 , , 8.3 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , 1.3 , , 2.2 , , 15.8 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 2 , , 2 , , 28.8 , , .400 , , .429 , , .750 , , 9.0 , , 4.0 , , 2.0 , , 1.5 , , 2.0 , , 11.0 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

^† , align="left" ,

, 6 , , 6 , , 23.0 , , .548 , , .500 , , .772 , , 5.2 , , 1.5 , , 1.2 , , 0.8 , , 1.5 , , 9.5 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 1 , , 1 , , 31.0 , , .438 , , .500 , , .000 , , 10.0 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 3.0 , , 16.0 , - , align="left" , Career , align="left" , 8 years, 4 teams , 45 , , 17 , , 15.6 , , .551 , , .469 , , .769 , , 3.6 , , 0.9 , , 0.7 , , 0.5 , , 1.1 , , 6.7

References

External links

WNBA Rookie ProfileFlorida State Seminoles bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Natasha 1991 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in Israel American expatriate basketball people in Turkey American women's basketball players Basketball players from Ohio Florida State Seminoles women's basketball players Indiana Fever draft picks Indiana Fever players LGBT basketball players LGBT people from Ohio Lesbian sportswomen McDonald's High School All-Americans Minnesota Lynx players New York Liberty players Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball) Power forwards (basketball) Seattle Storm players Sportspeople from Toledo, Ohio Xinjiang Magic Deer players Women's National Basketball Association All-Stars