LSU Women’s Basketball Legend Sylvia Fowles To Be Honored With Statue On Campus

BATON ROUGE, La. – Sylvia Fowles, one of the most decorated players in LSU women’s basketball history, will become the second female student-athlete in school history with her own statue on campus, the university announced on Wednesday.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Fowles said. “It is such a privilege and an honor, and I don't take this recognition from LSU lightly. It says a lot to be recognized for all my hard work, and I wouldn’t appreciate it the way that I do if I didn't accomplish it on LSU’s campus. Thank you to everyone who made this happen.”

Fowles will join four other Tiger greats – Bob Pettit, Shaquille O’Neil, Pete Maravich and Seimone Augustus – with basketball statues outside the Maravich Center.

“This is a great day and a wonderful honor for LSU legend Sylvia Fowles,” Vice President/Director of Athletics Verge Ausberry said. “It is a tremendous achievement to receive a statue on campus, and one reserved for some of the most decorated legends in LSU Athletics’ storied history. I want to give a special thank you to Coach Mulkey and Coach Starkey for their support and advocacy in this process. Sylvia has been the ultimate representation of LSU and this athletics department at the highest level, and I am thrilled to see one of our most iconic athletes be immortalized forever.”

In 2017, Fowles became the 12th LSU athlete or coach to have his/her jersey retired, joining Augustus in women’s basketball; men’s basketball players Bob Pettit, Pete Maravich, Rudy Macklin, Shaquille O’Neal and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf; football players Billy Cannon, Tommy Casanova, Jerry Stovall, Charles Alexander and Bert Jones; baseball coach Skip Bertman and baseball players Ben McDonald, Eddy Furniss and Todd Walker.

Fowles is one of 16 athletes or coaches with a jersey retired and will be just the seventh athlete or coach on LSU’s campus to be commemorated with a statue. She joins Augustus, Bertman, Cannon, Maravich, O'Neal, and Pettit.

“Sylvia Fowles is one of the greatest players, not only at LSU, but in the history of our game,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. “This honor is something that is extremely well-earned. She is one of the most significant ambassadors that this university has and what she did for this program and LSU deserves to be recognized permanently. I am proud that we can honor Sylvia with a statue on campus, giving our fans a lasting symbol that celebrates her remarkable legacy.”

Fowles, who was inducted into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015, was a two-time All-America center at LSU, and she led the Tigers to four consecutive Final Four appearances from 2005 through 2008. She was the 2008 National Defensive Player of the Year and the SEC Player of the Year, and she earned All-SEC honors in each of her final three seasons.

Fowles is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, helping lead Team USA to titles in 2008 at Beijing, in 2012 at London, in 2016 at Rio and in 2020 at Tokyo.

She is the founder of the Sylvia Fowles Family Fund, which supports her extensive work for youth and families both in Baton Rouge and in Miami. She also serves as a spokesperson for CURE: Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy.

Fowles, a 2009 LSU graduate, established school career records for rebounds (1,570), blocked shots (321), free throws made (494) and free throws attempted. She was the first-round draft choice of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky in 2008 and enjoyed a magnificent pro career, earning WNBA All-Star status on seven occasions and winning two WNBA Championships (2015, 2017).

Fowles earned 2010 All-Star MVP honors after leading the USA past the WNBA with a game-high 23 points. In her first All-Star Game appearance in 2009, Fowles dazzled fans as she became the third player in league history to dunk in the game.

Fowles was named MVP of the 2015 and 2017 WNBA Finals, as she led the Minnesota Lynx to the league title. She was also voted the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2021.

This WNBA season features Fowles' extensive knowledge of the game as an assistant coach for the Portland Fire.

A date and time for Fowles' statue to be revealed will be determined at a later date.

SYLVIA FOWLES’ ACCOMPLISHMENTS
-WNBA Champion (2015. 2017)
-WNBA Finals MVP (2015, 2017)
-WNBA Most Valuable Player (2017)
-WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2011, 2013, 2016, 2021)
-All-WNBA First Team (2010, 2013, 2017)
-All-WNBA Second Team (2011, 2012, 2016, 2021)
-WNBA All-Defensive First Team (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017,2021)
-WNBA All-Defensive Second Team (2008, 2014)
-WNBA All-Rookie Team (2008)
-WNBA All-Star Game (2009, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
-Eastern Conference Player of the Month (Aug. 2011, May 2012, July 2013, Aug. 2013, Sept. 2013)
-Western Conference Player of the Month (May 2017, June 2017, July 2017, Aug. 2021)
-Eastern Conference Player of the Week (2010:2, 2011:3, 2013:2)
-Western Conference Player of the Week (2017:5, 2021:1)
-WNBA’s career leader in rebounds (3,712) and FG percentage (59.7%)
-Set WNBA single-season records for rebounds (404), defensive rebounds (282) and rebounds per game (11.9) in 2018
-Olympic Gold Medalist (2008, 2012, 2016, 2021)
-FIBA World Championship Gold Medalist (2010)
-2017 No. 34 Jersey Retired at LSU
-2015 LSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class
-2005 SEC Sixth Woman of the Year
-2005 Second-Team All-SEC
-2005 SEC All-Freshman
-2005 Honorable Mention All-America (AP)
-2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 First-team All-Louisiana
-2005 Louisiana Freshman of the Year
-2006, 2007 and 2008 First-team All-SEC
-2006 Third-Team All-American (AP)
-2007 SEC All-Tournament team
-2007 First-team All-American (ESPN.com, Wooden Award, USBWA)
-2007 Second-team All-American (AP)
-2007 Kodak All-America
-2007 & 2008 First-Team All-SEC
-2007 Fresno Regional MOP
-2007 & 2008 Louisiana Player of the Year
-2008 WBCA Defensive Player of the Year
-2008 SEC Player of the Year
-2008 SEC Defensive Player of the Year
-2008 State Farm/WBCA All-American
-2008 First-team All-American (ESPN.com, AP, USBWA, Wooden Award)
-2008 New Orleans Regional MOP
-Member of the 2007 United States Senior National Team in Italy
-Member of the 2006 United States Senior National Team in Australia
-Member of the 2005 United States World University Games Gold Medal Team

(Release via LSU Athletics)