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When the reserves for the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game were announced on Saturday, Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard's name was not on the list. That turned out to be bad news for the Los Angeles Sparks, as Howard took out her frustration with the best game of her career on Sunday. 

Howard finished with a career-high 43 points, two rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks on 14-of-20 from the field and 6-of-12 from downtown in the Dream's dominant 112-84 win. She wound up one point shy of the Dream franchise record of 44 points, set by Betty Lennox in 2008. 

"It felt great," Howard said. "I was already mad and then coming into this game, everything was going in, like I said at halftime. There were some words said on the other end so that just kept me going."

Howard actually missed her first shot, but that would be the only reprieve the Sparks got all afternoon. She had 17 by the end of the first quarter and never looked back. By the time she was approaching the 40-point mark in the fourth quarter she was openly jawing with the Sparks bench. 

"[I want] respect," Howard said. "I've been here, I made a statement last year, I'm continuing to make that statement this year, so they need to put some respect on my name."

It wasn't clear if Howard was directing her comments toward her opponents, the other coaches or the press, but regardless she certainly earned some respect with that performance. Her full offensive arsenal was on display as she got to the rim, knocked down mid-range jumpers and rained in six triples. 

Howard's huge night is also worth looking at from a historical perspective. It's tied for the 13th highest-scoring game in league history and tied for the third-most efficient 40-point game ever. But more than that, it's a continuation of a fascinating trend this season. 

Including Howard's effort, there have already been five 40-point games in the league this summer, with less than half of the season played. That is a record for the most 40-point games in one season, surpassing the old mark of three, which happened in 2006, 2008 and 2015. Of the 26 40-point games in WNBA history, 18.5% of them have happened this season. 

It's also worth noting that this season's high-scoring outings have come from five different players, showing the depth of scoring talent in the league these days. In the previous 10 seasons combined, there were nine 40-point games and seven of them came from three players: Liz Cambage, Elena Delle Donne and Maya Moore. 

Another interesting fact is that four of the five 40-point games this season have come in regulation. Prior to this season, there had been just 11 40-pointers that did not require overtime. Players are piling up points faster than ever, thanks in part to the proliferation of the 3-pointer, but also thanks to a major increase in skill and shot-making. 

If the last few weeks are any indication, the record-setting performances aren't going to stop any time soon.