BATON ROUGE — Sylvia Fowles is getting a permanent place among LSU basketball royalty.
LSU announced Wednesday that the legendary former Tiger center will be honored with a statue outside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, joining Bob Pettit, Pete Maravich, Shaquille O’Neal and former LSU teammate Seimone Augustus among the basketball greats immortalized outside the arena.
Fowles will become just the second female student-athlete in LSU history to have her own statue on campus, following Augustus.
“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.”
Few players have left a bigger mark on LSU women’s basketball.
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Fowles helped lead the Tigers to four consecutive Final Four appearances from 2005-08 and finished her LSU career as one of the most dominant post players in the country. She was the 2008 SEC Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-America honors during her senior season.
She remains LSU’s career leader in rebounds with 1,570 and blocked shots with 321. Fowles also established school records for free throws made and attempted during her career.
Her No. 34 jersey was retired by LSU in 2017, two years after she was inducted into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
“This is a great day and a wonderful honor for LSU legend Sylvia Fowles,” LSU athletic director 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.”
Ausberry also credited LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey and longtime LSU coach Bob Starkey for supporting and advocating for the honor.
“Sylvia Fowles is one of the greatest players, not only at LSU, but in the history of our game,” 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.”
Fowles’ success continued well beyond Baton Rouge.
The No. 2 overall selection in the 2008 WNBA Draft, Fowles became one of the most accomplished centers in league history. She won WNBA championships with the Minnesota Lynx in 2015 and 2017 and was named WNBA Finals MVP following both title runs.
She was the league’s MVP in 2017, a four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and a seven-time All-Star. Fowles finished her playing career as the WNBA’s all-time leader in rebounds and field-goal percentage.
She also enjoyed a decorated international career with Team USA, winning four Olympic gold medals.
Fowles graduated from LSU in 2009 and has remained active in charitable work through the Sylvia Fowles Family Fund, which supports youth and families in Baton Rouge and Miami.
The statue will make Fowles just the seventh LSU athlete or coach commemorated with a statue on campus, joining Augustus, Skip Bertman, Billy Cannon, Maravich, O’Neal and Pettit.
LSU has not yet announced a date or time for the statue’s unveiling.
