Just Women’s Sports presents the top 10 players in WNBA playoff history in rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.

Candace Parker could make her case as the league’s greatest postseason player based on these leaderboards. She sits in the top five in all four of these categories – and in career playoff points. But the 37-year-old has not appeared (yet) in the 2023 postseason for the Las Vegas Aces as she deals with a foot injury.

Tamika Catchings, who starred for the Indiana Fever from 2002-2016, also appears in every category. While she doesn’t rank in the top five in all of them, she does have the most steals in WNBA playoff history with 152.

Connecticut Sun forward DeWanna Bonner ranks in the top 10 in rebounds, blocks and steals, and she moved up the leaderboards in the 2023 playoffs.

Sylvia Fowles will forever be regarded as one of the top players in Minnesota Lynx history. The team made it official Sunday, retiring her No. 34 jersey as part of a celebration of her illustrious career.

The No. 2 pick in the 2008 Draft, Fowles played 15 WNBA seasons: seven with the Chicago Sky and eight with the Minnesota Lynx. She retired in 2022 as the league’s all-time leader in rebounds (3,356) and double-doubles (193). She helped lead the Lynx to the 2015 and 2017 WNBA titles and was named Finals MVP on both occasions.

“What we didn’t know was that we were getting one of the greatest humans of all time. We needed her, and we sure don’t have 2015 and we don’t have 2017 without her,” Lindsay Whalen said of the Lynx trading for Fowles in 2015. “And with that, I think she became the greatest center of all time.”

Whalen played for the Lynx from 2010 until her retirement in 2018 and is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

“I may have done a little dance… I don’t know of a more dominant player who was as sweet as pie,” former Lynx forward Maya Moore said of the trade while referring to Fowles by her nickname, “Sweet Syl.”

“It was a joy playing with you, and the legacy that you leave is a very high one that’s already rubbing off on these players,” Moore continued. “Well done. You should be proud of yourself. Love you.”

Fowles also played a key role for USA Basketball, helping the team to four Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012, 2016, 2021).

Sylvia Fowles is forever in the rafters.

🎥: @minnesotalynx

pic.twitter.com/s56zSnvQcq

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) June 12, 2023

Cheryl Reeve coached Fowles with the Lynx and with USA Basketball. The Lynx head coach and general manager knew some of what the team would be getting when trading for Fowles, but not the whole story, she said Sunday.

“I knew the player we were getting,” Reeve said. “I had no idea of the person that Sylvia was. … We do not become a dynasty without Sylvia Fowles’ contributions in 2015 and 2017.”

Fowles became one of two WNBA legends to have her jersey retired Sunday, along with Seattle Storm great Sue Bird.

“It was like this was where I wanted to be. My life changed once I got here. I hit my peak,” Fowles said. “This organization was everything I needed it to be from top to bottom. And then I was coming in with these [teammates] who took nothing less than great. We fight, we fuss, but when we came between these four lines, we battled — and it was [a problem] for other teams.”

Angel Reese broke Sylvia Fowles’ LSU record for consecutive double-doubles in Monday’s win against Alabama with her 20th in 20 games this season.

Since she transferred from Maryland in the offseason, the sophomore forward has shined for the No. 4 Tigers (20-0), averaging 23.7 points and 15.5 rebounds per game heading into Monday’s contest. Those marks rank fifth and second in Division I women’s basketball this season.

After Reese surpassed Fowles’ previous record of 19, the WNBA legend mimed passing the crown to Reese in a video posted to social media by the LSU women’s basketball team. Fowles starred for the Tigers from 2004-08, and the two-time WNBA champion just retired after a 15-year career in the league.

“Crown off to you,” Fowles said. “Congratulations on all your success. Continue to be loud, bold, proud, true to yourself. Congratulations, Ms. Double-Double Queen.”

So blessed! Thank youuu🙏🏽🥹 https://t.co/NofmG6CwIg

— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) January 24, 2023

While Reese received a technical foul in LSU’s previous win against Arkansas, she seems intent to follow Fowles’ advice to stay true to herself. The technical came after Reese made an impressive block, then stood over the Razorbacks player and directed a comment toward her.

“Let’s normalize women showing passion for the game instead of it being ‘embarrassing,’” Reese said after that game, in which she finished with 30 points and 19 rebounds.

In LSU’s 89-51 win Monday against Alabama, Reese scored 14 points and matched that with 14 rebounds.

“When you’re 20-0, you break a record of one of the greatest all-time players ever, not just at LSU, in Sylvia Fowles, but in the country and in the history of women’s basketball, she’s in wonderful company,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said.

Her double-double streak stands as the second-longest in SEC history, behind just the streak of 27 in a row from South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston last season.

Reese met Fowles for the first time on Jan. 15, during a ceremony to unveil a statue for another LSU legend in Seimone Augustus outside the school’s basketball arena.

“She’s really proud of me. She’s happy for me,” Reese said at the time. “Being able to be up there with Sylvia Fowles is amazing.”

Top Shot is dropping two limited edition WNBA packs to honor the careers of Sylvia Fowles and Sue Bird.

Fowles’ will feature in the Metallic Gold Limited Editions set, which will include 25 moments from her career — including a bucket from her final home game with the Minnesota Lynx. Her pack will drop Tuesday, with a total of 8,750 packs available for sale.

“It’s incredible that WNBA Top Shot is helping bring our league and players to the forefront in a new space,” Fowles said in a statement. “It’s an honor to partner with WNBA Top Shot to immortalize my career in this space.

“Representation matters and I hope this breaks barriers for girls interested in sports while inspiring the next generation of women athletes and fans.”

Bird’s collection is titled the Game Recognize Game pack. The first-of-its-kind drop will feature nine contemporary and historical plays that are curated and narrated by the Seattle Storm legend.

“Throughout my career in the W, advocating for and empowering women in sports has been my mission,” Bird said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to partner with WNBA’s Top Shot to help increase the representation of women’s sports in the collectibles space. This is monumental for our game and this new generation of players.”

A percentage of the revenue from each player’s packs, up to $50,000, will be donated to the National Women’s Law Center, which supports gender justice in issues that affect the lives of women and girls.

We're proud to announce that @dapperlabs is also donating a percentage of our revenue from the sales of Moments featuring @SylviaFowles – up to $50,000 – to the National Women’s Law Center in support of gender justice across issues central to the lives of women and girls. 💜

— WNBA Top Shot (@WNBATopShot) August 25, 2022

For the first time since 2010, the Minnesota Lynx end the season outside the playoffs.

The Lynx had an opportunity to clinch a spot after surging late in the season, but they were unable to close it out in their season finale against the Connecticut Sun in what was ultimately Sylvia Fowles’ final game in the WNBA.

As Minnesota heads into the offseason, the team faces the unenviable task of replacing a generational talent. How will they move forward without Fowles?

Minnesota Lynx: Year in Review

What went right?

Despite starting a grisly 3-13, the Lynx rebounded in the latter half of the season, clawing their way into contention for a playoff spot. There were flashes of what the Lynx could be – including a 102-71 win over league-leading Las Vegas – but never the full package.

Sylvia Fowles was once again a bright spot for the Lynx, contributing 14.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while adding 1.2 assists and 1.0 blocks per game in the season dubbed “Syl’s Final Ride.” Aerial Powers and Kayla McBride were right there beside her, averaging 14.4 points and 13.3 points per game respectively.

And it’s not like the Lynx didn’t lack fight. In the team’s finale against the Sun, Lindsay Allen scored a career-high 26 points on 6-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. While missing the playoffs for the first time since 2010 in Sylvia Fowles’ final season is certainly a blow, they scrapped all the way to the end.

A crowning moment 👑

Sylvia Fowles takes the court for the final time in the regular season. pic.twitter.com/AEmFgWOH9v

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) August 14, 2022

What went wrong?

While the Lynx ended the season with a shot at the playoffs, the slow start nearly doomed them. At 14-22, the Lynx finished just a game ahead of the Sparks (13-23). The only other team they beat out was Indiana, and the Fever went on an 18-game losing streak to end the season.

Outside of Fowles, the team’s defense was lackluster all season, which head coach Cheryl Reeve singled out as a reason why they fell short of a postseason bid.

“We are exactly where we were supposed to be,” Reeve said. “We weren’t good enough to be in the playoffs.”

Aerial Powers and Kayla McBride, who were signed to the team in an attempt to gain a scoring edge, averaged 38% and 40% from the field.

And while Napheesa Collier made it clear she intended to play with Fowles one last time – and worked her way back 74 days after giving birth – the fact that she was back in the starting lineup and averaging 22.8 minutes per game to end the season showed the team’s desperation as much as her grit.

Looking forward

With Fowles setting off into retirement, eyes will turn to Collier as the next franchise leader.

And while it is nearly impossible to replace a player of Fowles’ caliber, the Lynx have a shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery, which will give them the best possible chance to bring in a new face of the franchise.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Everything in life comes to an end, eventually.

Perhaps no one knows that better than a mortician.

And a mortician also knows that we can’t always control when or how that ending occurs.

Sylvia Fowles, WNBA legend and funeral director, chose when her career ended. She decided that this was her perfect moment to exit the game, something she’s never wavered on. But how it ended — that was imperfect.

Her final contest included misses that caused her to scream in frustration, early fouls that sent her to the bench, and a comeback that came up short and eliminated the Lynx from playoff contention.

But an anticlimactic end doesn’t take away from the beauty of her career.

In a perfect world, someone as impactful as Fowles has been to the WNBA would go out with a playoff run, maybe even a title. The Lynx, however, had their worst season since 2010, going 14-22 and bringing the franchise’s league-leading 11-game playoff streak to an end.

The season was rocky, but Fowles was stoic, putting up consistent numbers — she averaged 14.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game — while maintaining a consistent attitude to match.

“Syl is awfully special,” coach Cheryl Reeve said following the season-ending 90-83 loss at Connecticut on Sunday. “I might have been really resentful through most of the season if I was Sylvia Fowles. I might have been really pissy. Syl has a hell of a lot more love in her body than most of us.”

The 15-year WNBA veteran poured that love into her teammates, coaches, fans, and even opposing players this season. She spent countless hours knitting personalized hats for her Lynx teammates, selecting plants for her coaches and putting together gift baskets for the trainers and staff.

Prior to her final game against the Sun, she stole moments out of warm-ups to give her goodbyes to opposing players.

GOODNIGHT ✌️ pic.twitter.com/IO1Spz5Fj3

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 15, 2022

Jonquel Jones approached Fowles, and the two engaged in conversation, full of smiles and laughs. When they embraced, one hug wasn’t good enough, and Jones pulled her back in for a second.

Then, Fowles made her way to Bria Hartley, who after injuring her ACL earlier this season was sporting crutches and a hefty brace. Fowles put her hands on the injured knee, rubbing it gently as if to invoke healing powers.

Fowles’ final game provided a glimpse of the person she’s been throughout her career, an identity Reeve knows well. Since Fowles joined the Lynx seven years ago, she and Reeve have won two WNBA championships together in 2015 and 2017.

When the coach subbed her star player out at the end of the game, the two embraced on the sidelines. It lasted for 10 seconds, heavy with emotion, as though they were both trying to capture eight seasons of memories in one hug.

“There will never be another Sylvia Fowles,” Reeve said, wiping tears from her eyes. “And it’s not just the 4,000-plus rebounds, which is awfully impressive. But it’s the way she did it. It’s the love she has for people, for the organization, and the love for me. Life is going to suck without her, big time. She’ll still be in my life, no doubt about it, but we won’t get to share in the battles, or the side eye that she gives me, or the suck the teeth that she gives me. I’m going to miss that.”

It’s easy to get caught up in Fowles the person, but Sunday was also a reminder of the center’s unparalleled basketball legacy.

In her final game, she became the only player in WNBA history to record 4,000 regular-season rebounds. She also ended her career as the leading rebounder for both of the organizations she played for — the Lynx and the Sky. Fowles is a two-time WNBA champion, securing Finals MVP honors on both occasions, an eight-time All-Star, and the WNBA’s career leader in field goal percentage (59.7). At LSU, she became the program’s all-time leading rebounder (1,570), and also topped the record list for blocked shots (321) and free throws made (494).

And on Sunday, Fowles recorded her 193rd double-double, despite a disjointed game in which she sat on the bench for extended periods due to foul trouble.

While Fowles has become known for her gentle spirit and generosity, she expressed frustration following her final performance, showing the competitive fire that propelled her to greatness.

thanks for the memories, 34. 💙 pic.twitter.com/1GWdvz3bU8

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 14, 2022

Despite leading the league in double-doubles this season and finishing her final game with 12 rebounds, 10 points, two steals and a block, Fowles still thought she should have done more. She still wanted to be better for her team.

“I was a little annoyed with myself because I had a s—ty three quarters,” she said. “I felt like I did my teammates a disservice.”

That single sentence is a cocktail of emotions. The love, the competitiveness, the sadness, the legacy all wrapped into one.

“I think that is something I will do later,” Fowles said of processing those feelings. “Most of my emotion right now is just to be grateful.”

And though Fowles has kept out of the spotlight for most of her career, the 36-year-old was glad she stepped into it this season.

“I appreciate the love that I got from the fans this year,” she said. “Put things into a different perspective for me. I never got that over my first 14 years of playing, so to see that all come together in my last year, I’m very grateful for that as well.”

But no matter how much love Sylvia Fowles received from the league and its fans, it still doesn’t compare to the amount of love she’s given over the years.

Like Reeve said, “Syl has a hell of a lot more love in her body than most of us.”

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

The Minnesota Lynx fell to the Connecticut Sun 90-83 on Sunday, eliminating the team from WNBA playoffs contention.

Minnesota’s loss made way for the Phoenix Mercury to clinch the team’s 10th consecutive playoff berth with one game in hand.

The Lynx’s defeat also marks the end of Sylvia Fowles’ career. The star center checked out of the game with seconds left on the clock, receiving an emotional embrace from coach Cheryl Reeve as she returned to the bench.

“I was telling her thank you,” said Fowles of the emotional farewell. “You never want to let a moment go when you appreciate somebody to let them know you love them. Cheryl has been everything that I needed to be successful and I’m grateful for that.”

one last time for @SylviaFowles 🥺 pic.twitter.com/K5gF1NsIYO

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 14, 2022

Fowles notched ten points and 12 rebounds against Connecticut, capping off a prolific 15-year career in the WNBA that includes two league championships.

Her sixth board of the game made Fowles the first WNBA player in history to tally 4,000 regular-season rebounds, shattering records in her final appearance with the Lynx.

“There will never be another Sylvia Fowles,” coach Reeve said after Sunday’s game. “It’s not just the 4,000 rebounds, which is awfully impressive. But it’s the way she did it.”

With Minnesota out of playoff contention for the first time since 2010, the Mercury and the New York Liberty clinch the final two postseason berths, joining the Las Vegas Aces, Chicago Sky, Seattle Storm, Connecticut Sun, Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings in the postseason field.