Make Room for Natasha Howard

This year’s Most Improved Player candidate gives Seattle a Big Four.

Everyone knows that Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd make up the Big Three of the Seattle Storm. But with the contributions Natasha Howard has made this season, the argument can be made that it’s really a Big Four. Not only has Howard taken her game to a new level, she’s helped transform the Storm from an 8-seed in 2017 to the best team in the WNBA this year.

Howard was taken 5th overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2014 WNBA draft after completing her collegiate career at Florida State. After two disappointing seasons, she was traded to Minnesota in a sign and trade deal for Devereaux Peters. Howard’s time in Minnesota was mostly spent on the bench as a key contributor of the second unit. However, she played only 14.6 minutes per game in 2016 and saw her minutes decrease in 2017 to 11.7. This was due to a logjam at the forward position as most of the playing time went to Rebekkah Brunson and franchise star Maya Moore. After the 2017 season, she was traded to Seattle for a 2018 second round pick. That trade may end up being the steal of the century for Seattle.

In Howard, Seattle saw not only an upgrade over Crystal Langhorne, Carolyn Swords, or Ramu Tokashiki (who decided to forgo the 2018 season due to her commitments to the Japan National Team), they saw the potential for a future star.

Going into the last week of the season, Howard is averaging 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 blocks per game (2nd in the league), and a 55.4 field goal percentage (5th in the league). She also owns a 57.5 effective field goal percentage which accounts for the value of three-pointers. Including when she’s sent to the line, Howard is averaging an impressive 1.22 points per scoring attempt. Paired with Breanna Stewart (58.0 eFG% & 1.25 PPSA), the duo create a formidable threat in the paint.

With Seattle, she not only has had an opportunity to start, but to showcase what she could do with more minutes. As her overall stat line improved dramatically thanks to the additional playing time, she’s also shown that she can be a dependable 3-point shooter. She’s hitting 34% from deep this year on 50 attempts, very impressive since she was 4 of 22 (18%) during her first four WNBA seasons.

Take a gander at her highlights from the Storm’s August 7th game against the Fever. I love how she gets the jump on Natalie Achonwa for an easy opening bucket. Additionally, with defenses doubling up Breanna Stewart, Howard has the ability to move freely on the court, converting passes from Sue Bird into wide-open layups.

Now, with a top two seed guaranteed and the semi-finals in her sights, Howard has shown no signs of letting up. What could all of this mean for Howard and her first season on the Storm? A championship and a Most Improved Player award are certainly in the mix.

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