MINNEAPOLIS — After 15 seasons in the WBNA, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is looking to close out her career with one "final ride" as the Minnesota Lynx opens its 2022 regular season on the road.
The Lynx ended the 2021 season with a 22-10 record and entered the playoffs a three-seed before losing to the Chicago Sky, who went on to win the championship, in the second round.
When the Lynx take the court on Friday night, it will be the final season opener for veteran center Sylvia Fowles, who is entering her 15th and final season in the WNBA.
Fowles joined the league in 2008 when she was drafted second overall by the Chicago Sky but was traded to Minnesota in a three-team deal in 2015. Since then, the Miami native has won two WNBA Championships with the Lynx, two Finals MVP (2015, 2017) and two Defensive Player of the Year awards (2016, 2021).
For her final year in the league, the Lynx launched "Syl's Final Ride" campaign in partnership with Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN, a local nonprofit that provides kids with bicycles so they can lead happier and healthier lives. According to the team, Fowles holds biking closer to her as she is an avid biker.
“The main reason for my return had a lot to do with our fans," Fowles previously said. "I wanted to make sure I gave them the opportunity to see me play my final season. It feels right that my playing career finishes in Minnesota; there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
"This will be a special season, her ‘final ride’ and Syl’s impact on the game will live on long after her last game," Lynx Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve said.
Minnesota opens the 2022 regular season on the road against the Seattle Storm, who are also starting the season with one of their key veterans likely retiring at the end of the season. Sue Bird, who has played 21 of the Storm's 23 seasons in franchise history, re-signed with Seattle in February, however, neither she nor the team have officially said this is Bird's final season in the league.
The Lynx's season opener starts at 6 p.m. CT on May 6 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle and will be televised locally on The CW - Twin Cities.
Minnesota's home opener at Target Center is on May 8 at 7 p.m. against the Washington Mystics.
While Lynx will be returning with notable players like Fowles and five-time All-Star Angel McCoughtry, neither of Minnesota's two draft picks, Kayla Jones of NC State and Hannah Sjerven of South Dakota, made it to the final roster.
To find single-game tickets online, click or tap here.
The Lynx will honor Fowles in the final regular-season home game on Aug. 12 against the Storm.
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