Toledo product Natasha Howard has found her offseason destination.
The Waite High School graduate and current WNBA free agent signed with Reyer Venezia of the Lega Basket Femminile, the highest level of basketball in Italy and the EuroLeague.
Many WNBA players spend their offseason overseas to gain additional income and experience. At least 101 players who competed in the league last year have signed in other countries.
Howard will be playing in Italy for the second time. She has also played overseas in Israel, Cyprus, South Korea, China, and Russia during her career.
Reyner Zenezia is currently sitting atop the LBF standings with an 11-0 record. The team won the Italian Super Cup title for the second time in the organization's history in September.
Howard last season helped the Seattle Storm win the WNBA championship, her third WNBA title (2018 with Seattle, 2017 with Minnesota) and fifth Finals appearance in six seasons. She averaged 9.5 points and 7.1 rebounds last season.
While she is playing in Italy, Howard is also an unrestricted free agent for the upcoming WNBA season. The league's negotiation period for free agents begins Jan. 15. She could be looking for a sizable raise after her success in Seattle.
Howard for the 2020 season made $117,000, according to spotrac.com, which was the league's old max salary before the new collective bargaining agreement ahead of the 2020 season boosted salary cap by 30 percent and max salaries by 80 percent. Howard's contract was part of a sign-and-trade deal when she joined Seattle from Minnesota before the 2018 season.
Since then, Howard was the league's Most Improved Player in 2018, followed by a 2019 season that included an all-star game start, a spot on the All-WNBA first team, and the league's Defensive Player of the Year award. In 2020, she led the WNBA in defensive rating.
Howard has arrived in Venice, according to a press release. Reyer Venezia's next game is Dec. 30.
First Published December 28, 2020, 11:11 p.m.
