MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – As announced earlier this season, the Minnesota Lynx will honor Lynx center Sylvia Fowles and her historic career at her final regular season home game on Friday, Aug. 12 at Target Center. Minnesota hosts the Seattle Storm with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
The celebratory evening includes Fan Appreciation Night presented by Star Tribune and will conclude with the postgame ceremony commemorating Fowles and her incredible WNBA career. All fans in attendance will receive a commemorative bike license plate. The special giveaway is a nod to Fowles’ love of biking. A limited number of fans will also receive a Fowles t-shirt and poster, courtesy of Nike.
The on-court program will include remarks from Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota Lynx and Timberwolves Owners Glen and Becky Taylor, USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley, Napheesa Collier, Lindsay Whalen, Lynx Assistant Coach Rebekkah Brunson, Lynx Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve and Fowles. A tribute video will feature game highlights and milestones and will also spotlight Fowles’ off-court community initiatives that she has championed throughout her time in Minnesota. Bally Sports North play-by-play analyst Marney Gellner will serve as the emcee. The postgame ceremony will also be broadcast live on ESPN2.
Throughout the season, fans and the community have celebrated “Syl’s Final Ride,” a campaign spotlighting her passions off the court. From biking to food access to supporting youth, Fowles’ partnered with Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN, Slow Roll Twin Cities, and Appetite For Change to host bikes rides and plant beets at a community garden to raise awareness around access to fresh food in North Minneapolis. All three local organizations will receive community gifts during Friday night’s game.
“Watching Sylvia Fowles play the last eight seasons with the Minnesota Lynx has been a privilege that I will forever cherish,” said Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx owner Glen Taylor. “It is her greatness – exemplified on court and amplified off court that make her the “Sweet Syl” we all know, admire and love. Syl’s 15-year WNBA career is one of the greatest the league and her countless fans have witnessed. We congratulate Syl on all her accomplishments and wish her only the best as she begins her next chapter.”
“There is no one like Sylvia Fowles, no one,” said Reeve. “All the records, all the accolades, the bar she has set is unprecedented. However, at the heart of Syl’s legacy is who she is as a person. Her warmth, her charm, her generosity and her thoughtfulness will be incredibly missed by not only the Lynx franchise and its fans, but the entire WNBA family. I look forward to watching her next adventure unfold.”
Additionally, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association will honor Fowles in a pregame presentation and USA Basketball will present Reeve, Collier and Fowles their 2020 Olympic rings during halftime. The team captured gold for the seventh consecutive Olympic Games (2020, 2016, 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000 and 1996). Fowles is a four-time Olympic gold medalist, making her one of only six athletes in USA Basketball history to win four gold medals.
The Miami, Fla. native is in her 15th and final season and is one of the most decorated players in the league. Last season, Fowles was named the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year, marking the fourth time she has earned that honor (2011, 2013, 2016, 2021), the second-most of all-time behind Tamika Catchings and earned All-WNBA Second Team and All-Defensive First Team honors. She was named the 2017 WNBA Most Valuable Player, is a two-time WNBA Champion and Finals MVP (2015, 2017) and is a four-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) with USA Basketball Women’s National Team.
Originally drafted second overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky and acquired by the Lynx in 2015, Fowles currently leads the WNBA in field goal accuracy (59.9%), rebounds (3,982), defensive rebounds (2,855) and double-doubles (191). In her eighth season in Minnesota, Fowles also ranks as the franchise’s career leader in field goal accuracy (61.2%), rebounds per game (9.8), blocks per game (1.6), total blocks (343) and double-doubles (99). She also ranks among the Lynx’s all-time leaders in rebounds (second, 2,150), offensive rebounds (second, 617), defensive rebounds (first, 1,532), points per game (fourth, 15.8), total points (fourth, 3,465) and steals (third, 277).
Limited tickets remain for Friday’s final regular season home game at: www.lynxbasketball.com/tickets.