Sunday was the jersey retirement of Sylvia Fowles, who was part of the Minnesota Lynx’s championship teams in 2015 and 2017. Fowles averaged 15.7 points and a WNBA-record 9.8 rebounds per game in a 15-year career with Chicago and Minnesota. In 2021, she was named one of the top 25 WNBA players of all time. Her last eight seasons were spent with the Lynx.
Fowles retired from basketball in 2022, but her legacy in the sport continues to grow. In a tribute video about her jersey retirement, she was described as a sassy player who was sweet as pie.
Fowles was one of the most dominant post players to ever play in the WNBA. A few of her accolades include:
- WNBA champion (2015, 2017)
- WNBA Finals MVP (2015, 2017)
- WNBA Most Valuable Player (2017)
- WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2011, 2013, 2016, 2021)
- All-WNBA first team (2010, 2013, 2017)
- All-WNBA second team (2011, 2012, 2016, 2021)
- WNBA All-Defensive first team (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021)
- WNBA All-Defensive second team (2008, 2014)
- WNBA All-Rookie team (2008)
- WNBA All-Star Game (2009, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
- WNBA’s career leader in rebounds (3,712) and FG% (59.7)
- Set WNBA single-season records for rebounds (404), defensive rebounds (282) and rebounds per game (11.9) in 2018
- Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012, 2016, 2021)
- FIBA World Championship gold medalist (2010)
Here’s what social media had to say about Fowles’ jersey retirement.