Lynx’s Sylvia Fowles Wins WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award for 4th Time

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Minnesota Lynx veteran center Sylvia Fowles has earned the fourth WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award of her career.

Fowles earned 31 of 49 first-place votes. Los Angeles Sparks guard Brittney Sykes finished second with six votes, while Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones and Phoenix Mercury forward Brianna Turner tied for third with four votes each.

Fowles now trails only Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings, who finished her career with five Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Fowles, Sykes, Jones and Turner were also named to the WNBA All-Defensive first team, with Connecticut’s Briann January earning the last spot.

In her 14th season, Fowles ranked second in the league in both steals and blocks per game with 1.8 in both categories. She also ranked second in rebounds at 10.1 per game and third in defensive rebounds (8.0). With Fowles leading the way, the Lynx ranked third in the WNBA defensively, holding opponents to 78.7 points.

“We give her great responsibility,” Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve said of Fowles. “She’s not just guarding her player. She’s the one that’s coming to help on drives.”

Fowles is Minnesota’s second-leading scorer at 16.0 points per game. A former WNBA MVP who turns 36 next month, Fowles has shown no signs of slowing down.

“That was embedded in me at an early age,” Fowles said about her defensive prowess. “I can definitely say this team challenged me to do more—not in a bad way, but just to make sure I’m aware of a lot of things.”

Fowles is also a two-time WNBA Finals MVP and a seven-time All-Star. 

Fowles and the third-seeded Lynx will face the sixth-seeded Chicago Sky in the second round of the WNBA playoffs Sunday.