Lynx Center Sylvia Fowles Named Kia WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month

Award is Fowles’ first this season, ninth of career 

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The WNBA today named Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles its Kia Western Conference Player of the Month for the month of August after she led the Lynx to a 4-2 record (16-9 overall). This is the first Western Conference Player of the Month award for Fowles this season and fourth with Minnesota (May, June and July 2017). She has been named Player of the Month nine times in her career, including being named Eastern Conference Player of the Month with Chicago five times (August 2011, May 2012, July 2013, August 2013 and September 2013). The award marks the 15th time a Lynx player has been named Player of the Month, with Moore (August 2013, September 2013, May 2014, July 2014, August 2014, July 2015, May 2016 and September 2016), Lindsay Whalen (August 2011), Seimone Augustus (July 2011) and Rebekkah Brunson (June 2011) also having previously received the award. Fowles was awarded Western Conference Player of the Week this season on June 28 for Week 6.  

Fowles leads the WNBA in field goal accuracy (62.5%), ranks 11th in scoring (16.6 ppg), first in steals (1.9 spg), second in rebounding (10.0 rpg), and second in blocks (1.8 bpg). In the month of August, she recorded two 20+ point/10+ rebound games and three double-doubles to hike her WNBA-record career double-double total to 177. She shot 69.0 percent from the field and averaged 19.2 ppg, 10.6 rbg 1.6 spg, 1.6 bpg in the five games she appeared. 

Highlights from Fowles’ month include: 

• August 24 vs. Seattle: Erupted for 29 points and 20 rebounds, the latter total matching the franchise single-game record she shares with Rebekkah Brunson. She tallied her 10th double-double of the season (177 of her career) and set club records for most rebounds in a half (13, 1st half) and most defensive rebounds in a game (17). This game marked her fourth career 20+ point and 20+ rebound performance, the most by any WNBA player of all-time and the 19th such effort in league history. She added four steals and three blocks with zero turnovers, becoming the first WNBA player to ever collect at least 20 points, 20 rebounds, three steals and three blocks in a single game. The 29 points moved her within 114 of the 6000-career-point mark overall and within 41 of reaching 3000 points in a Lynx uniform.  
• August 15 vs. New York: Finished with a team-high 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting and 11 rebounds in the 88-78 win against the Liberty, marking her 175th double-double of her career and the sixth time of the season she recorded 20+ points.  

Connecticut Sun’s Jonquel Jones was named Kia WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for the month of August. Jones led the sun to a 7-0 record in August and averaged 18.7 ppg, 11.0 rpg and 1.0 bpg.