Sylvia Fowles plays final WNBA game as Lynx eliminated from playoff race originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Take a bow, Sylvia Fowles.
The Minnesota Lynx center saw her legendary WNBA career come to a close on Sunday with her team’s 90-83 loss to the Connecticut Sun.
After starting the year 3-13, Fowles and the Lynx still had a chance to fight for their playoff lives on the final day of the regular season. Minnesota needed a win, along with a loss from either the New York Liberty or Phoenix Mercury to earn the WNBA’s eighth and final playoff spot.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
The Sun, who were already locked into the No. 3 seed for the playoffs, rained on the Lynx’s parade, though. After trailing by as many as 19 points, the Lynx trimmed their deficit to six with 3:43 left in regulation against Sun reserves. Connecticut head coach Curt Miller then subbed in his starters, who held onto the team’s lead through the final horn.
Fowles, the league’s all-time double-doubles leader, added one more to her resume on Sunday with 10 points and 12 boards. Late in the first half, she also became the first WNBA player to surpass 4,000 career rebounds.
Sports
With 43.2 seconds on the clock and the Sun up seven, Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve subbed Fowles out, allowing her Lynx teammates and the Mohegan Sun Arena crowd to celebrate her one last time:
Though Fowles’ career ended on the road, the Lynx gave her a special ceremony on Friday during her final home game. That matchup served as Fowles’ final battle against Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird, who is also competing in her last WNBA season.
Fowles ends her career as the WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder and a top-10 all-time scorer. She also tacked on four WNBA Defensive Player of the Year awards, eight All-Star selections and two WNBA titles across her 15-year career with the Lynx and Chicago Sky.
Next up, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
