At the end of their last regular season game, Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles embraced. 0: 17
The Target Center crowd chanted "Syl's House!" and teammates and opponents alike looked on with pride as Sylvia Fowles soaked up the affection.
The Lynx and their fans wanted to make Sylvia Fowles feel appreciated when she retires at the end of the season. The place that turned out to be a perfect fit for the Florida native was Minnesota, where she has spent the past eight seasons.
The fans were the hardest hit by the postgame celebration that was held on the court after the loss to Seattle. We said just listening to them scream and give me my flowers. It was pleasant.
She has been one of the most dominant centers in the history of women's basketball, dating back to her college career at LSU, her seven years in Chicago and her four Olympic gold medals.
It is not certain if fans will see her play on the Target Center court again. The team is still in the running for the playoffs even after the loss. Minnesota is a game behind Phoenix and New York in the race for the final two playoff spots.
If the Mercury or Liberty don't lose on the same day, the Lynx will need to win at Connecticut. The head-to-head record between the Phoenix and New York teams will be used to determine the winner of the playoff game.
"We still have one more game to play," said Fowles. We have a bit of a reprieve. Hopefully we play better on Sunday because tonight wasn't our day.
It wasn't a great game for the Lynx, who allowed the surging Storm to shoot 52.8% from the field in controlling the game start to finish, but it was a great night for Sylvias. Sue Bird and Briann January were honored by the Lynx before the game. They've been teammates on four Olympic teams.
"How blessed am I that in my career I've had a chance to be around these great players?" asked Cheryl Reeve, who is now the head coach of Team USA. "Sue and Syl, that generation, they took the baton from those that started the NBA, and they took this thing to another level."
Tina Charles joined Bird and other Storm players who stayed after the game to honor Sylvia Fowles. As much admiration and respect as the Storm players have for her, the reality is they had something to play for in the first round of the playoffs. The victory gave Seattle that.
The Storm coach said it felt like a sad day. You don't want to ruin Syl's night, but it wasn't ruined at all. She was loved in the stadium. It was going to be her night if she won or lost. Even though we won, it was still very special for her, for the organization, for the city, and for us who love her as a teammate.
After four years at LSU, Fowles went to the women's Final Four in all four of her seasons with the Sky, who made it to the finals. She sat out the first part of the 2015 season waiting for a trade so she could play for the Lynx. The third championship was won by Minnesota in July of that year. The women's basketball team won the title in 2017: The league's most valuable player was Fowles, who was also the finals most valuable player.
Lindsay Whalen, the women's basketball coach at the University of Minnesota, paid tribute to Sylvia Fowles on Friday. When Sylvia Fowles came to the team, they became a dynasty, according to Whalen.
Rebekkah Brunson, who was part of Minnesota's championship core, said that Sylvia Fowles gave her a hug after the two had faced off. At first, she wondered if he was teasing her. She realized that she was a fierce competitor and compassionate friend to everyone as soon as the game ended.
It wasn't for a moment that I was disappointed that I got to know Fowles as a teammate. She said "I care about you, I support you, I want to see you succeed" when she hugged her. I'll be there for you no matter what. She's been that person for this community.
At the ceremony, Glen Taylor told Fowles that he wished she was in Minnesota. Taylor said he got to know Fowles and that they didn't talk about basketball. They talked about ways to help people.
"What hit me the hardest in the ceremony was the fans. Just listening to them scream and give me my flowers, shall we say." Sylvia Fowles
She said she knew the answer would be, "Not no, but hell no.''
The man who will turn 37 in October is Sylvia Fowles, who is having a good time. She is the most feared post player in the league. She never wanted to look bad, that's why she's going out at the top of her game. She didn't want to be one of those old players who should have retired a long time ago.
When this season is over, she is ready to move forward, but she is glad she came back for another year. She didn't want a lot of attention to be paid to her farewell. It has turned out to be a great experience for her.
"I'm very happy with what I'm doing this year." I didn't like it because I didn't want the attention. You have to realize that people understand the work that you do.
I don't want an easy way out." I'm willing to do whatever needs to be done that night. I'm very proud of the responsibilities I took during my career.
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