WNBA legends Sue Bird and Maya Moore were two of three female athletes named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The third was former Chicago Sky center Sylvia Fowles.
Both Bird (2002) and Maya (2011) were previous first-overall picks, as Fowles was the second overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. Just like current Sky forward Angel Reese, the 6’6” former player also played college basketball for the LSU Tigers.
Jul 10, 2022; Chicago, Ill, USA; Team Wilson center Sylvia Fowles is defended by Team Stewart forward Breanna Stewart during the second half in a WNBA All Star Game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images
Fowles made a splash right away in Chicago. She became a starter almost instantaneously. In her rookie season, Fowles averaged 10.5 points and 7.8 rebounds while blocking 2.1 shots and recording 1.1 steals a game.
The Miami, Florida native was a part of the Chicago Sky team that made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history back in 2013. Fowles averaged 15 points and 12 points in the best-of-three series against the Indiana Fever.
Fowles was named an All-Star three times with the Sky. She ranks in the top 15 WNBA scoring totals in the league’s 29 years of history.
A closer look at the details 👀
Sue Bird & Sylvia Fowles break down the inside of their Hall of Fame jackets!#25HoopClass pic.twitter.com/uCDG6xbKrM
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 6, 2025
Before the start of the 2015 WNBA season, Fowles had been shipped off by her original team to a bona fide championship contender. Not only in her first season playing for Minnesota did she average 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds a game, but Fowles also captured her first of two WNBA championships.
The Lynx won their second title in 2017. It was also the fourth for Minnesota, as fellow Hall of Famer inductee Moore was her teammate then. Moore left both the team and the league after the 2018 WNBA season, and Fowles followed suit four seasons later.
Fowles ended her career in the league with the Lynx after the 2021 WNBA season. She finished with some of the league’s top honors and awards including being named to the 25th Anniversary Team four years ago.
Consistency. Dominance. Greatness. 🌟
Sylvia Fowles reflects on what fueled her Hall of Fame career! #25HoopClass pic.twitter.com/qyoH5xl1uy
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 5, 2025
The former Sky center is a two-time WNBA blocks leader (2010 and 2011) and is a three-time WNBA rebounding champion (2013, 2018, and 2020). Fowles is an eight-time WNBA All-Star member with a league MVP and Finals MVP, both in 2017.
In 408 career games as a pro, the Hall of Famer scored 6,415 points, hauled in 4,006 rebounds, while recording 492 steals and 721 blocks. Fowles is an example for current WNBA players to follow like the Sky’s Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
Saturday night was a great night for Fowles and the league. Basketball is honored to put her name among the other greats in the sport.