“It still feels surreal at this moment,” Fowles told ESPN after the game, “but I think I’ll have time for it to soak in tomorrow and appreciate all the hard work I’ve put in the last 13 [seasons].”

Fowles’ assessment of her strengths neglects to include her talent in scoring and blocking, skills she first honed during her collegiate career with LSU. She is the only LSU player to have scored at least 2,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, and 300 blocked shots. Her record breaking 1,570 rebounds and junior season long streak of double-doubles helped LSU reach four NCAA Final Fours during Fowles collegiate career.

The well-rounded athlete is also taking time to pursue passions outside of basketball. She began pursuing a mortuary science degree during the 2017 WNBA season, which required discipline and a strict schedule to manage playing professional ball and interning in a rural Minnesota funeral home about two hours away from Minneapolis. 

“It’s fun to see the happiness on her face and to know that she’s doing something she’s so passionate about,” Fowles then-teammate Danielle Robinson said to Sports Illustrated. “Syl, when she puts her mind to something, she’s going to do it — whether it’s basketball, whether it’s off the court, whether it’s school.

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