LSU to retire jersey of Sylvia Fowles

The LSU Hall of Fame Committee unanimously approved the retirement of the jersey of Minnesota Lynx player and three-time Olympic gold medalist Sylvia Fowles. The jersey will be retired by LSU in a ceremony prior to a game during the 2017-18 basketball season. Fowles, a native of Miami, Florida, will become the 12th LSU athlete or coach to have a jersey retired, joining her Lynx teammate Seimone Augustus and others.

“Sylvia Fowles is a woman of great influence and compassion who has brought worldwide recognition to our university and to our state,” said LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva in a release. “Her impact has been felt not only through her achievements as a basketball player, but also in her philanthropic work for young people. We are thrilled to honor her legacy by retiring her jersey in the Maravich Center.”

Fowles, a 2009 LSU graduate, set school career records for rebounds (1,570), blocked shots (321), free throws made (494) and free throws attempted. She was the first-round draft choice of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky in 2008. She was named MVP of the 2015 WNBA Finals, as she led the Minnesota Lynx to the league title. She was also voted the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, 2013 and 2016. She was inducted into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015, was a two-time All-America center at LSU, and she led the Lady Tigers to four consecutive Final Four appearances from 2005 through 2008.