Sylvia Fowles excited to see her number retired at LSU

Sylvia Fowles has no plans to retire from the WNBA anytime soon, but the Minnesota Lynx center was ecstatic to hear that her jersey number is being retired at Louisiana State.

“I actually started dancing in a little room. The first person I called was my mom. She was overjoyed,” Fowles told The Summitt following a Lynx practice session on Tuesday. “It was very exciting and very humbling at the same time.”

LSU announced the retirement of Fowles’ No. 34 jersey on Monday after the motion received unanimous approval from the school’s Hall of Fame Committee. Fowles was informed a few days before the news went public, and she had plenty of reason to be giddy. She is only the second player in the history of the LSU women’s basketball program to have her number retired. Seimone Augustus was the first, with her No. 33 being retired in 2010.

Fowles is amused that her jersey will hang alongside Augustus’ in the rafters of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, but she admires the gesture from her collegiate alma mater.

“I’m happy they’re taking the recognition for what Seimone and I did there at LSU. I’m just thrilled to be part of that legacy,” Fowles said.

That legacy has only grown since Fowles turned pro in 2008. The 31-year-old was named Finals MVP in 2015 after her performance secured Minnesota’s third championship in franchise history. Other accolades include three All-Star selections and three Defensive Player of the Year awards, but trophies alone can’t justify her influence in the post. Fowles has the highest career field goal percentage in WNBA history with a mark of 58 percent, and her true shooting percentage of 62.2 is second all-time.

When you add the numbers, it’s no wonder why Lynx fans cheer mightily for No. 34.