MINNEAPOLIS — In Sylvia Fowles' final regular-season game of her historic career, the Minnesota Lynx lost to the Connecticut Sun 83-90 Sunday afternoon.
Fowles, who is retiring after 15 seasons in the WNBA, became the first player in league history to reach 4,000 career rebounds during Sunday's season finale, further solidifying herself as the greatest center to play. The 6'6" center also led both teams in rebounds with 12 and finished with ten points, making for the 192nd double-double of her career.
Fowles, the 2017 league MVP and four-time defensive player of the year, is the only player to lead two franchises (Minnesota and Chicago) in career rebounding.
The Lynx needed to win Sunday and for either the New York Liberty or the Phoenix Mercury to lose in order to reach the playoffs. With the loss, Minnesota is officially eliminated from playoff contention, ending the team's streak of reaching the playoffs in 11-straight seasons.
The Sun led 78-62 with 7:08 remaining before Minnesota went on a 14-2 run during which Fowles and Aerial Powers scored five points each. Now leading just 80-76, Thomas hit a jumper in the lane for Connecticut and her rebound on the other end helped set up Courtney Williams’s 15-footer for an eight-point lead.
Lindsay Allen, who entered with a scoring average of 4.3 ppg, made 6 of 7 3-pointers and led the Lynx with 26 points. She added six assists. Powers had 22 points and eight rebounds.
Natisha Hiedeman and Brionna Jones scored 15 points each for Connecticut. Jonquel Jones scored 12 points and Wiliams had 10. Thomas added seven rebounds and five assists.
Connecticut was already assured of the No. 3 playoff spot and will open at home against No. 6 Dallas on Thursday.
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