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What’s good, family. It’s Sykes, once again, here to bring you another edition of Layup Lines. Today, we’re celebrating Sylvia Fowles.
The Minnesota Lynx superstar told us she is retiring from the WNBA at the end of this season after dominant 15 years in the league. That was back in July and, man, look at how the time flies. We’re already here.
She might be playing in her last home game on Friday with the Lynx. All of the profiles about her brilliance and all the tweets about her kindness and genuineness are all rightfully bubbling to the surface. Fowles deserves the flowers she’s finally getting and so much more.
It’s hard for anyone to ever say a league MVP has somehow flown under the radar throughout her career, but it absolutely feels like Fowles has. She’s always been one of the WNBA’s best players, from her time early on in Chicago as a 2nd year All-Star to all her trips to the WNBA Finals alongside Maya Moore in Minnesota.
Fowles always comes to work, dominates, and goes on about her business. That’s why she’s the WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder. It’s why she’s an 8-time All-Star, a 2-time Finals MVP, and a 4-time Gold Medal winning Olympian. You get it — she’s great.
But you won’t hear a peep about it from her — especially not about basketball.
Basketball isn’t really her main thing. Fowles recently told ESPN’s Kevin Van Valkenburg “My life is not about basketball. It’s just something I do.” She loves the game and all it’s given her, but it doesn’t define her. She means that.
She’s already got her post-retirement life lined up. She’s a mortician. She knits things like baskets and beanie hats for fun — she even made some as gifts to her teammates and coaches for when she finally leaves. She’s a plant mom who loves drinking tea. She’s a genuinely kind human being that nobody would dare utter a bad word about. That’s Sylvia Fowles and this is her new beginning.
I don’t know how much more of Big Syl we’re going to get. It could be a little, but it might be a lot more if the Lynx hold on to their playoff slot at 7.
Regardless, it’s been an absolute pleasure to watch her through her career. We’ll miss her. But she’s about to have the time of her life.
Cheers to that.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
The Miami Heat are going to have a pretty weird setup in their arena once LeBron James retires. Obviously, Bill Russell’s number 6 has been retired across the league.
But…there was a pretty great 6 playing in that arena last decade. LeBron James might be the best Miami Heat player literally ever. And they’re going to retire his jersey someday. Which also means that there will be two different number 6’s in the building. My buddy Bryan Kalbrosky wrote about it today.
“So before they have a ceremony to honor LeBron, they must first retire No. 6 for Russell and hang his jersey in the rafters. Then, they will do the same for James.
This means that more likely than not, there will eventually be two different No. 6 jerseys featured at FTX Arena.”
That’s going to be fun.
One to Watch
(All odds via Tipico.)
Seattle Storm (-1.5, +102) vs. Minnesota Lynx (+1.5), O/U 163.5, 9 PM ET
Not only is this a battle between two legends in Fowles and Sue Bird, but it’s also a battle for playoff positioning. The Lynx have a lot to lose with them in a 4-way tie for the 7th seed. And it’s also Big Syl’s last home game — at least for the regular season, anyway. So I’m taking Minny +1.5.
Shootaround
— Here’s a look at the last players in the NBA to ever wear No. 6.
— Cole Huff has the 30 best over/under bets for next season already. My guy is on it.
—It doesn’t feel likely that the 76ers are a realistic spot for Kevin Durant, but Philly fans can dream.
— Why do the Thunder still have so many picks? Sheesh.
That’s a wrap, family! Have a great weekend. Let us know what you think about this new flow, too. Like it? Love it? Hate it? Sound off.
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