MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The WNBA today named Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played May 14 through May 21. The Player of the Week award is Fowles’ sixth of her career and first with the Lynx.
The Lynx ended Opening Week as the league’s only 3-0 team, opening a half-game lead on Los Angeles atop the WNBA standings. Over the three games played in the week, Fowles averaged 21.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. She shot 57.5% from the floor (23-for-40) and 76.0% from the line (19-for-25) while collecting a pair of double-doubles to increase her career total to 109 (third in league history).
The 10-year pro from Louisiana State University tallied a game-high 26 points while adding a team-best 10 rebounds, four steals and three blocks in the May 14 win vs. Chicago, Minnesota’s sixth consecutive Opening Night triumph. Later in the week, she added 12 points, seven rebounds and two steals as the Lynx overcame an early eight-point deficit to win at New York on May 18. Fowles rounded out the week with game highs of 27 points and 13 rebounds while adding two blocks in the May 20 victory at Dallas, her 42nd career 20+ point/10+ rebound performance. In the 89-87 win over Dallas, she hauled in eight offensive rebounds, the most by any Lynx player since Rebekkah Brunson collected eight at Atlanta on Aug. 20, 2013. After the first week of the season, Fowles ranks fourth in scoring (21.7 ppg), fourth in rebounding (10.0 rpg), seventh in steals (2.00 spg) and third in blocks (2.00 bpg); she’s the only player among the WNBA’s top 10 in all four categories
Atlanta’s Layshia Clarendon was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
The Lynx play next on Tuesday, May 23 against the Connecticut at Xcel Energy Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT and the game can be seen on ESPN2 and heard on BOB 106.1 FM.