Natasha Howard has accomplished much in her basketball career, from her high school days at Waite High School, through four years at Florida State University, and in seven professional seasons in the WNBA.
On the heels of winning her third WNBA championship in 2020, her second with the Seattle Storm, Howard is now looking to expand the limits of her potential as an all-around player after a recent trade to the New York Liberty.
“I'm really excited to have the opportunity that I've been waiting for since I got started in the league, and I'm finally getting the opportunity to show what I'm capable on and off the floor,” Howard said of the trade.
"Watching the New York Liberty last year in the bubble, they had so much potential. I'm like, 'I can definitely make an impact.' ”
The Toledo native was traded Wednesday from the Storm to the Liberty for two first-round draft picks, including the No. 1 overall selection in 2021 and a second-round choice in 2022.
At age 29, the unselfish Howard has long since proven her superb ability, although mostly in a complementary role as a pro player. Now, she has an opportunity to perform as a primary option with the Liberty, along with New York's No. 1 overall draft pick of 2020, Sabrina Ionescu.
When she was part of her first two title teams, Howard contributed 4.3 points and 2.4 rebounds a game during the regular season for Minnesota's championship team in 2017, and upgraded significantly to 13.2 points and 6.4 boards in an expanded role with Seattle's title winner in 2018.
It was not until 2019 that Howard was able to show the higher end of her overall game.
That season, the Storm's reigning WNBA most valuable player ,Breanna Stewart, was lost for the entire year to a torn Achilles tendon, and veteran all-star guard Sue Bird missed that season with a knee injury.
Howard elevated her game to new heights in 2019, averaging 18.1 points and 8.2 rebounds on the way to being named first team All-WNBA, as well as the league's defensive player of the year.
“I love getting into somebody’s skin and making them uncomfortable," Howard said of her defensive skill. "I try to push [my teammates] to the next level, make them uncomfortable, [and do] something that they don’t know how to do.
“I just want to be that type of person that my teammates can trust and lean on. And, I got plenty more stuff to show the Liberty fans, as well, that nobody else has seen at all.”
With Stewart and Bird back in 2020 to lead Seattle to its second title in three seasons, Howard was back in more of a secondary role, and her averages dropped to 9.5 points and 7.1 rebounds.
Howard, who reportedly earned $117,000 with Seattle last season, reportedly received a four-year, $889,000 deal from New York. This deal will pay her $215,000 in 2021, $221,450 in 2022, $227,900 in 2023, and $234,350 in 2024.
With the Liberty, Howard will join forces with Ionescu, the 2020 national collegiate player of the year.
The 5-11 guard from the University of Oregon was the first player in NCAA history, male or female, to surpass the 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound, and 1,000-assist career milestones. Ionescu had 2,562 points, 1,040 rebounds, and 1,091 assists, and she recorded 26 career triple-doubles.
In three games with New York in the bubble last summer in Florida, Ionescu averaged 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in less than 27 minutes played per game.
Howard is very much looking forward to joining forces with the the WNBA's newest star.
"It’s gonna be like Kobe and Shaq," Howard said of being part of the Liberty's new 1-2 punch.
Liberty coach Walt Hopkins sees big things in the Big Apple for Howard.
“What Natasha does is really unique in our league,” Hopkins said. “There's just not a lot of players who are as versatile two-way players as she is. It was just a matter of time and opportunity to Natasha.
“Like a lot of players in this league, they just need the right system, the right opportunity, the right timing, to show what they can do. I think 'Tash got to have that in Seattle, and now what I'm excited about is, I think there's another level for her that we talked about.
“I think we saw an MVP-caliber campaign from her [in 2019], and I really think she's capable of more. I think a system that caters to her skill set, with players around her that cater to her skill set, we're going to see another MVP-type year from Natasha.”
While at Waite, Howard was a four-year starter and led the Indians to a Division I state runner-up finish in 2010, when she was named Ohio's Ms. Basketball and played in the McDonald's All-American game. She was twice named first team All-Ohio, once second team, and was a two-time All-Blade player of the year.
At Florida State, she had 41 career scoring-rebounding double-doubles and averaged 20.5 points and 9.3 rebounds as a senior in 2013-14. When she concluded her Seminoles career, Howard ranked No. 1 in rebounds (1,047), No. 2 in points (1,811), No. 3 in blocked shots (186), and No. 6 in steals (209).
She has 2,011 points and 1,039 rebounds in the 222 career WNBA regular-season games.
First Published February 16, 2021, 12:10 a.m.
