Natasha Howard Bio
Natasha Howard (born September 2, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). A versatile power forward, she was the 2019 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time WNBA champion. Howard has built her career on the defensive end, but her scoring has grown into a defining strength.
Born in Toledo, Ohio, Howard played college basketball at Florida State University, where she finished sixth in the NCAA for field goal percentage. Selected fifth overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2014 WNBA Draft, she has since developed into one of the league’s most reliable two-way forwards.
Early Life and Background
Natasha Howard was born on September 2, 1991, in Toledo, Ohio, and grew up in the same working-class city in the northwestern part of the state. She attended Waite High School in Toledo, where she became one of the most decorated young players in the state of Ohio. Her high school résumé included being named Ohio Ms. Basketball in 2010 and earning co-MVP honors at the McDonald’s All-American Game that same year.
Those recognitions helped establish her as a high-major recruit and put her on the national radar. Standing at 6 ft 2 in, Howard combined length with a developing physical edge, traits that coaches believed would translate to the next level. She signed with Florida State and moved south to begin her college career.
Path to Basketball
Howard enrolled at Florida State University in 2010 and played for the Seminoles from 2010 through 2014. As a freshman, she was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team in 2011, showing the kind of immediate impact that college coaches covet. Her defensive instincts were evident early, and she earned ACC All-Defensive Team recognition in 2012.
As an upperclassman, Howard elevated her offensive game, becoming a more efficient scorer and rebounder. She was a two-time First-Team All-ACC selection in 2013 and 2014, and she added another ACC All-Defensive Team nod in 2014. Her college career peaked with a sixth-place finish nationally in field goal percentage, a sign of her efficiency around the rim. That production convinced the Indiana Fever to select her fifth overall in the 2014 WNBA Draft.
Natasha Howard Career
WNBA Early Career (2014–2015)
Howard opened her rookie season with the Indiana Fever in strong fashion, scoring 16 points in her professional debut and following that with a 21-point performance. She averaged 7.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game as a rookie, a credible start for a young forward adjusting to the WNBA’s pace and physicality.
Her second season in Indiana, however, was a step back. Howard averaged 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds, and her scoring dipped into double figures only twice. Even so, the Fever reached the 2015 WNBA Finals, where Howard delivered a perfect shooting performance, going 8 for 8 from the floor and 3 for 3 from the free-throw line in a five-game series loss to the Minnesota Lynx. That shooting display foreshadowed the efficiency she would later display across her career.
Minnesota Lynx Years (2016–2017)
On February 2, 2016, the Fever traded Howard to the Minnesota Lynx in a sign-and-trade deal that sent Devereaux Peters to Indiana. She slotted into a veteran Lynx post rotation that included Sylvia Fowles, Rebekkah Brunson, and Janel McCarville, and she became a key bench contributor. In her first game against Indiana after the trade, Howard scored 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting.
She matched her career high of 21 points in a July 2, 2016 win over the San Antonio Stars, and the Lynx returned to the WNBA Finals that season, only to fall to the Los Angeles Sparks in five games. The next year, Howard was part of another Finals run, this time a rematch with the Sparks. Minnesota won the series 3–2, and Howard earned her first WNBA championship in 2017.
Seattle Storm Breakthrough (2018–2020)
On February 7, 2018, the Storm acquired Howard in a trade for a 2018 second-round pick. Installed as the starting power forward, she produced the best season of her career to that point, setting career highs in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. She was named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team and finished second in the league in blocks. The Storm finished with a league-best 26–8 record and swept the Washington Mystics in the Finals, giving Howard her second championship. She scored 29 points with 14 rebounds in the clinching Game 3.
In 2019, Howard broke out offensively. She was voted to her first WNBA All-Star Game and scored a career-high 33 points in a July 17 win over the Lynx. She earned All-WNBA First Team honors, the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, and another All-Defensive First Team selection. The Storm reached the 2020 Finals inside the WNBA bubble at IMG Academy and swept the Las Vegas Aces to give Howard her third title.
Liberty, Wings, and Return to Indiana (2021–2025)
Howard was acquired by the New York Liberty in a three-team trade in 2021, and she played the 2021 and 2022 WNBA seasons there. In January 2023, she was traded to the Dallas Wings in another three-team deal, where she spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons. On February 2, 2025, she signed a one-year, $214,666 contract with the Indiana Fever as a free agent, returning to the franchise that first drafted her. The 2025 campaign brought a WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship, with Howard also earning Commissioner’s Cup MVP honors.
International Career (2014–2024)
Howard has balanced her WNBA seasons with long stints overseas. She began in Israel with Elitzur Ramla in 2014–15, then moved to Turkey to play for Yakin Dogu in 2015–16. She spent 2016–17 with Samsung Life Blue Minx in South Korea, then joined Xinjiang Magic Deer in China in 2018–19. She later played for Reyer Venezia in Italy (2020–21), Dynamo Kursk in Russia (2021–22), and Fenerbahce in Turkey from 2022 to 2024. With Fenerbahce, she won back-to-back EuroLeague titles in 2023 and 2024, a Turkish League championship in 2022–23 and 2023–24, the Turkish Cup in 2024, and the 2023 FIBA Europe SuperCup Women, completing a 2024 Triple Crown.
Driving Style and Strengths
Howard’s game is built on defensive versatility, efficient inside scoring, and rebounding. She protects the rim, switches across multiple positions, and converts high-percentage looks around the basket. As her career has progressed, her midrange shot and free-throw efficiency have improved, allowing her to space the floor and serve as a secondary scorer alongside star guards.
Notable Events and Milestones
Howard reached the WNBA Finals in each of her first four postseasons (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), a remarkable run of consecutive appearances to open her career. Her 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award and 2025 Commissioner’s Cup MVP stand as the two clearest individual honors of her career.
Natasha Howard Career Wins
Howard has stacked championships at both the WNBA and international levels. She is a three-time WNBA champion (2017, 2018, 2020), a two-time EuroLeague champion (2023, 2024), and a 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup champion with the Indiana Fever.
WNBA Highlights
Howard’s three WNBA championships came with two different franchises, the Minnesota Lynx in 2017 and the Seattle Storm in 2018 and 2020. Her first title came in a five-game rematch with the Los Angeles Sparks, and her second came as part of a Storm team that finished with the league’s best record. The 2020 title was captured in the WNBA bubble at IMG Academy, where she started all 22 games and helped Seattle sweep the Las Vegas Aces.
Other Wins and Performances
Howard’s European résumé with Fenerbahce includes two EuroLeague titles, two Turkish League titles, a Turkish Cup, and a FIBA Europe SuperCup Women, a sweep that formed a 2024 Triple Crown. She added a 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup title and Commissioner’s Cup MVP with the Fever, a return to the franchise that first drafted her in 2014.
Natasha Howard Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Howard is married to Jac’Eil Duckworth Howard, and their wedding was featured as part of the 11th season of the reality series Basketball Wives. The couple’s relationship has been a steady presence throughout her professional career, which has included stints on multiple teams in the United States and overseas.
2025 Season Performance
Howard’s 2025 season was defined by her return to the Indiana Fever, the franchise that drafted her fifth overall in 2014. Signed to a one-year, $214,666 contract on February 2, 2025, she re-joined a Fever team whose front office had been restructured after the 2024 season, and management made her re-signing one of its offseason priorities.
On the court, Howard served as a veteran leader in the Fever frontcourt. Her 2025 campaign was highlighted by winning the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship and earning Commissioner’s Cup MVP honors, underscoring her value as a two-way forward on a young, rising roster. Her experience from three previous WNBA titles, two EuroLeague championships, and a long overseas career gave the Fever a stabilizing presence in the post.
