20th Season Memories: Fowles Earns 2017 WNBA MVP
Sylvia Fowles was on another level last night, putting together the first 20-point/20-rebound game in Lynx history, so it’s fitting that for this week’s 20th Season Memory we’ll be taking a look back at a little bit of recent history—Fowles’ 2017 MVP season.
Her numbers speak for themselves: 18.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game on 65.5-percent shooting. Her field-goal percentage led the WNBA. Those numbers sustained over the course of a season speak to nothing but dominance.
Fowles received 35 of 40 first-place votes for the MVP award after leading the Lynx to a 27-7 record and No. 1 overall seed in the 2017 WNBA Playoffs. In 2017, Fowles was also named to the All-WNBA First Team, the WNBA All-Defensive First Team, and the Western Conference All-Star Team.
But Fowles’ success didn’t stop in the regular season. In the playoffs, she averaged 18.6 points, 13.1 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game as she led the Lynx to their fourth WNBA Championship. She was named the WNBA Finals MVP at the conclusion of the tournament.
Fowles has shown no signs of slowing down, and she should be an MVP threat for this Minnesota squad for years to come. She’s a go-to option on offense, and a defensive anchor for the team. It’s still early, but it’s entirely possible that Fowles’ 2018 season could be even better than her award-winning 2017.