MINNEAPOLIS — On Friday night, the Minnesota Lynx will host the Seattle Storm for the final regular-season home game for WNBA great Sylvia Fowles, who is retiring after 15 seasons in the league. The Lynx are planning to honor and celebrate Fowles' career after being one of the best centers to play the game.
Lynx President of Business Operations Carley Knox told KARE 11 Tuesday that the team is aiming for a sell-out crowd Friday so they can give Fowles the goodbye that she deserves.
"She is arguably the best center to ever play women's basketball and we are so excited to be able to honor her on Friday night," Knox said, "And so we have an incredible game planned, completely dedicated to honoring Sylvia Fowles and the legend that she is on and off the court."
Fowles was drafted second overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky and was traded to the Lynx in a three-team trade in 2015. By the time she was traded to the Lynx, the 6'6" center already won Defensive Player of the Year twice, but her time in Minnesota solidified her as one of the all-time greats. She won Defensive Player of the Year twice more (2016 and 2021), won two WNBA Finals, was named WNBA Finals MVP twice (2015 and 2017) and won league MVP in 2017.
Fowles also won Gold Medals in the 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympics and was named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team eight times and All-WNBA First Time three times in her career.
Over the weekend, the WNBA and the Seattle Storm celebrated Sue Bird's final regular-season home game in Seattle, which was sold out and was one of the biggest crowds ever at Climate Pledge Arena. Knox said that "we need to do justice for Syl and get this arena absolutely full and pack."
Knox added that Friday's giveaways to fans will be the most the Lynx have done in the 13 seasons she's been with the team.
"I don't want to spill too many of the beans but there's gonna be a plethora of giveaways which we're excited about because it's also Fan Appreciation night, but mainly tied into Syl which we're really excited about," Knox said.
During Friday night's game, people from across the basketball world will be there to honor Fowles' incredible career. Knox said people representing the WNBA players union, USA Basketball, ESPN, the City of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota will honor her.
"Ultimately, Syl is one of the greatest of all time and she hasn't gotten the recognition that she deserves and that's why locally I want to do everything we possibly can to lean in and celebrate her on Friday night," Knox said.
As the team pushes to end the season with a sell-out crowd, the Lynx's attendance throughout the season has been one of the best in the WNBA.
After the Minnesota Lynx had to play in a bubble during the 2020 season and crowd sizes were limited in 2021, fans came roaring back to the Target Center for the 2022 regular season, according to fan attendance data.
The Minnesota Lynx's average attendance in 2022 was 7,168, according to data provided by the Lynx, which is a jump of more than 160% from last season. During the 2021 season, the Lynx averaged 2,696 fans per game, according to Across the Timeline, which tracks statistics in women's basketball.
'Syl is one of the greatest of all time and she hasn't gotten the recognition that she deserves'
This season, having full-capacity crowds for the Lynx has been huge for Minnesota, according to Knox. However, she acknowledges that crowds still aren't back to sizes seen during the team's championship era.
"Our fan base are among those that are very conscious and cautious around COVID. So, took us a bit to build back and we're still working on our build back to get back to where we were in 2019 prior to COVID," Knox said. "And, you know, obviously that was in the midst of unbelievable time, our dynasty winning four championships in seven years and so we were in a pretty awesome place, so slowly but surely we've been building back."
Knox attributes the Lynx's strong attendance numbers over the years to the team's core fan base - season ticket holders.
"I tell them this at every event, and they're probably sick of me hearing it, but again, they're the best fans in the WNBA by far, they are so incredibly passionate. We just appreciate them and couldn't do it without them. They really are the lifeblood of our organization," she said.
The Lynx, according to Knox, have dubbed long-time season ticket holders who have been with the team since the early 2010s as "legends," and said "it's almost like they're part of our Lynx family."
"Doesn't matter the record, they believe in this team, they share the same values of using sports as a vehicle of change to make the world a better place," she said, "and they're so aligned with who we are on the court and off the court as well."
Getting fans back into the stands took some time, Knox said, with people still being cautious with COVID-19. But folks slowly started coming back in groups and buying more fan experience ticket packages.
While this season's average attendance isn't back to the team's championship era, it is close to what the Lynx saw prior to their dynasty.
From the team's inception in 1999 to 2009, the Lynx's annual average fan attendance was 7,483, based on attendance data collected by Across the Timeline. Between 2010 to 2019, when Minnesota won four WNBA championships, the team's average annual attendance per game jumped to 9,265. The team's all-time annual average fan attendance per game is 8,030.
'They're the best fans in the WNBA by far'
According to league attendance numbers provided by the Lynx, as of Aug. 8, Minnesota ranks second in the WNBA for average attendance in 2022 with an average of 7,168 fans per game, only trailing the Seattle Storm's average of 10,632.
"I'm incredibly proud of what we've built here and the group of diehard fans we've put together of our members and, hopefully, we will continue to grow that for years to come," Knox said.
The Lynx hope that they can end the season with a sold-out crowd at Target Center Friday.
During Minnesota's last march for a fourth WNBA championship in 2017, attendance for the Lynx nearly reached an all-time high average with about 10,407 fans coming out to each game. Historically, the team's yearly attendance peaked in the Lynx's inaugural season when an average of 10,494 fans came out each home game.
The Lynx have only a handful of games left in the 2022 regular season, with one game left at Target Center. On Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. CT, the team's final home game will be against the Seattle Storm and will also be nationally televised on ESPN2.
"It is a historic game, it's a special moment in the history of our franchise," Knox said, "And, you know, it would be a shame to miss out on such an incredible moment to witness."
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