Sylvia Fowles Named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week

Sky center Sylvia Fowles was today named the WNBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week for regular season games played Monday, August 8 through Sunday, August 14.

Fowles�s 13.7 rebounds per game led the league by a wide margin (4.4 more than second-ranked Rebekkah Brunson of Minnesota) and her 25.0 points per game ranked second in the league behind only the 26.5 points per game of Indiana�s Tamika Catchings. The Louisiana State University product also led the league in minutes played per game (37.0) and ranked second in shooting percentage (.659 on 29-of-44 from the field).

Fowles, who registered three consecutive double-doubles, began the week with a 19-point, 11-rebound effort against the division rival Connecticut Sun and fellow center and league MVP candidate Tina Charles. The fourth-year pro then recorded 28 points and 13 boards in a 79-76 loss to the Minnesota Lynx. She closed out the week with another 28-point performance and a season-high 17 rebounds in an 85-73 win over the San Antonio Silver Stars.

For the year, Fowles leads the WNBA in both field goal percentage (.584 on 192 of 329 from the field) and blocks per game (2.08), and ranks second in scoring per game (20.1), rebounds per game (10.0) and minutes played per game (34.8). She is currently on pace to become only the second player in the history of the WNBA to average 20+ points per game and 10+ rebounds per game.

The Player of the Week award is the second of the year for Fowles and the fourth of her career.

Phoenix�s Diana Taurasi was named the Western Conference Player of the Week.

Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week were Atlanta�s Angel McCoughtry, Los Angeles� Ticha Penicheiro, Minnesota�s Lindsay Whalen, New York�s Cappie Pondexter, Phoenix�s Penny Taylor, and Washington�s Crystal Langhorne.