When you think of the Minnesota Lynx dynasty era, one of the players that immediately comes to mind — especially in the final years of that successful stretch — is Sylvia Fowles.
Upon arrival in Minnesota in 2015, Fowles immediately took over the hearts of the Lynx fanbase with her sweet demeanor off the court and her fierce, down-to-business personality on it.
Her ride with the Lynx and in the WNBA came to an end in 2022 when Fowles called it a career. But the recognition and celebration of one of the best post players the league has ever seen didn’t end there.
In 2023, the Lynx retired her No. 34 jersey, putting her up in the Target Center rafters alongside teammates Lindsay Whalen, Rebekkah Brunson and Seimone Augustus (that group now includes Maya Moore).
Two years later, Fowles deservingly entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame alongside Moore as part of the Class of 2025. And on July 18, when Fowles returns to Minneapolis on the opposing bench, she will be honored once again by the team she repped for eight seasons.
When Minnesota hosts the Portland Fire at Target Center, the Lynx will honor Fowles’ Hall of Fame induction by adding a “Hall of Fame” banner on her retired jersey hanging atop Target Center. She becomes the fourth player in franchise history to receive this honor, joining Moore, Whalen and Augustus.
Another night that is dedicated to one of the best to every put on a Lynx uniform and a person who has the heart as big as the state of Minnesota.
The Legacy of Sweet Syl
When she hung up her shoes in 2022, that put to end a 15-year career in the WNBA, eight of which came in Minnesota. And looking back, what a career it was.
After an impressive collegiate career at LSU, Fowles was the No. 2 pick by the Chicago Sky in the 2008 WNBA Draft, playing in Chicago until her trade to the Lynx in 2015. When she arrived in Minnesota, things took off to another level.
“My life changed once I got here,” Fowles said upon her jersey retirement in 2023. “This organization was everything that I needed it to be from top to bottom, to how to treat each other, to the respect that they have for each other. And then I was coming in with these girls who didn’t take nothing less than great as an option. … We fight, we fuss, but when we came in between these four lines, we battled with each other and it was murder for the other teams. That’s something that I always appreciated.”
Appearing in 408 regular season games and 41 postseason contests with the Lynx, Fowles claimed two WNBA championships with Minnesota, earning Finals MVP in both title runs in 2015 and 2017. Along with that, Fowles was an eight-time All-Star, was named the WNBA MVP in 2017, earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2017, and is a four-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA.
Fowles retired as the WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder with 4,007 rebounds, a record that has since been broken. She also set the league record for most career double-doubles, logging 193 in totality.
What she did on the court was impressive. But what she did off the court might have been even more impactful. Fowles was and continues to be involved in the Twin Cities community, serving as an advocate for youth health and wellness while having hosted and participated in various community events and campaigns around her passions of biking and gardening.
Her career in Minnesota was one to remember, but her career in totality — and who Sweet Syl is as a human being — is one for the record books.
Honored Again in Our House
In her final few seasons and notably in her last WNBA season in 2022, Fowles was asked whether or not she would have an interest in coaching following her playing days.
At that time, she meant it. And in the first few years following her retirement, she took time away from the game with the exception of occasionally coming back to Minnesota to spend time with the Lynx and catch up with old friends.
However, prior to the 2026 season, with the insertion of two expansion teams to the WNBA with Portland and Toronto, Fowles decided to give the whole coaching thing a try when she was hired as an assistant coach with Portland.
“When I retired, my hope was for a brighter, more powerful future for this league and its players. Now, I get to help turn that vision into a reality,” Fowles said when her hiring was announced. “Returning to the league that shaped me, now as an assistant coach with the Portland Fire, is truly special.”
On June 15, Fowles and the Fire returned to Target Center for the first time, with Minnesota winning that game by 33 points. On July 18, Portland once again comes to Minenapolis for a rematch, with Fowles being honored by the team with a new addition of “Hall of Fame” to her jersey banner.
Though she is on the other bench, Lynx fans will once again get to celebrate one of the all-time greats — just like they did for eight seasons.
A fitting treatment for Sweet Syl, a Hall of Famer in the truest sense.