Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx legend Sylvia Fowles is widely considered one of the greatest WNBA players ever. She has the accolades to back up that claim, having won two championships and a regular-season MVP award in her career.
Fowles played 15 seasons in the WNBA and established herself as one of the most dominant defensive forces in the league. She’s a four-time Defensive Player of the Year and led the league in blocks twice and rebounds three times.
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Last September, Fowles was also inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, along with other hoops legends such as Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard.
Team Stewart guard Sue Bird (right) and Team Wilson center Sylvia Fowles (left) are presented with flowers.David Banks-Imagn Images
Now, three years after calling it a career in 2022, Fowles is back in the WNBA. This time, not as a player, but as a coach.
On Monday, the Portland Fire — one of two new expansion franchises set to make their debut in 2026 — officially announced that they have hired Fowles to be an assistant coach under Alex Sarama.
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“It’s Official,” the team wrote, while sharing a photo of Fowles. It also included a graphic showing Fowles’ career achievements before adding “Assistant Coach” to the list.
“A new Chapter. Welcome to Portland,” the team added.
Sure enough, fans expressed excitement for her return and addition to the Fire, especially with her reputation as a defensive icon.
“Ahhhhh let’s goooo!! So exciting! What a hire and welcome to Portland @sylvia_fowles! Time to develop more players into legends like yourself,” a fan wrote. Another one said, “Let’s go Coach Fowles!! Hope y’all grab some strong post players in the draft.”
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“Awesome coaching pick up,” a fan added.
A supporter wrote in disbelief, “What??!!! Starting off with a LEGEND??!”
“What a hire. WNBA legend. Welcome to Portland,” a follower remarked.
The Fire have yet to build their roster, but once the expansion draft comes and they select players, it will definitely be interesting to see the frontcourt they build with the help of Fowles.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.