Sylvia Fowles

Sylvia Shaqueria Fowles (born October 6, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player.

Fowles played for the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx during her WNBA career.

She participated in the 2004 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored fifteen points, and earned MVP honors.

Fowles played in all 36 of LSU's games as a freshman, helping the team to an appearance in the NCAA Final Four.

As a sophomore, she started all 35 games and again helped the team reach the Final Four.

In her junior year, she led LSU to the Final Four again and earned All-American honors.

Fowles was named to the pre-season All-American team prior to her senior season.

She is the third WNBA player to dunk in an all star game, following Michelle Snow in 2006 and Lisa Leslie in 2005.

She dunked the ball in the Lady Tigers' game against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on November 21, 2007, becoming the sixth woman to dunk in an American college game.

In December 2007, Fowles suffered a partial tear of the meniscus of her right knee during a game against the University of Miami.

She then underwent surgery and missed several weeks of play.

Fowles was named the 2008 SEC Player of the Year.

During a March 24, 2008 NCAA Tournament game, she broke the all-time SEC record for career rebounds.

She led LSU to the Final Four again in her senior year.

Fowles was selected 2nd overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2008 WNBA draft.

After being drafted second overall, Fowles entered the Sky's rotation in the starting lineup and averaged 10.8 points, 7.6 rebounds per game and 2.1 blocks per game in her rookie season.

However, her rookie season was shortened due to a knee injury as she played only 17 games with 14 starts.

Fowles finished additional academic credits after beginning her professional basketball career and received her bachelor's degree from LSU in the spring of 2009.

During her college career at LSU, Fowles had also played with future WNBA teammate Seimone Augustus.

After establishing herself as a solid inside scorer, tenacious rebounder and elite rim protector in her rookie season, Fowles would earn her first career WNBA all-star selection in 2009.

She averaged 11.3 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game and 1.5 blocks per game.

However, injuries would once again shorten her season as she missed 10 games.

Fowles dunked on her second attempt during the 2009 WNBA All-Star Game while representing the Eastern Conference after everyone on both teams cleared out of her way.

Her first attempt clanged off the bottom of the rim.

The game took place on July 25, 2009 at Mohegan Sun, the home of the Connecticut Sun.

During the 2010 season, Fowles scored a career-high 35 points in a 97–96 loss to the Phoenix Mercury.

She led the Lynx to win the WNBA Championship in 2015 and 2017, and she was named the MVP of the WNBA Finals both times.

She won the WNBA MVP Award in 2017 and the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award four times (2011, 2013, 2016, 2021).

On May 15, 2017, it was announced that Fowles' uniform number (34) will be retired by LSU during the 2017–18 season.

She is the second women's basketball player in school history to receive that honor.

Source

In 2020, Fowles overtook Rebekkah Brunson to become the WNBA's career leader in rebounds.

Fowles was born in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Arrittio Fowles.

She has three brothers, Walter, Jeremy, Morris, and one sister, Dorothy.

Fowles grew up in some of the rougher neighborhoods of Miami-Dade, including Coconut Grove, Little Haiti, and the Victory Home Housing Projects.

She attended Little River Elementary School, Horace Mann Middle School, Miami Edison Senior and graduated from Gulliver Preparatory School.

She also led Edison Senior High School to two state championships before transferring to Gulliver Preparatory School.

Fowles averaged 20.6 points and 11.6 rebounds at Gulliver and led them to the class 3A state championship against East Gadsden High School.

Fowles was also named a McDonald's All-American.

Fowles was named a WBCA All-American.