Lynx's Sylvia Fowles wins 3rd WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award


Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles was named 2016 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced on Friday.

Per the Lynx website:
"The WNBA announced today that Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles is the recipient of the 2016 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award presented by Samsung. Fowles received 19 votes from a national panel of 39 sportswriters and broadcasters. This is Fowles’ third Defensive Player of the Year honor, joining Tamika Catchings (five) and Sheryl Swoopes (three) as the only players to win the award at least three times. 
Fowles, the first WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in Lynx history, wrapped up her ninth WNBA season, second with Minnesota, by starting all 34 games for the first time since 2011, averaging 13.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.79 blocks and 1.32 steals in 28.5 mpg. Behind Fowles, the Lynx led the WNBA in defensive rating (96.4) and ranked second in opponent field goal percentage (41.7) and points allowed (77.0 ppg). Fowles completed the season ranked fourth in rebounding, fourth in blocks and 11th in steals, finishing as the league’s only player to finish in the top 12 in all three categories. Fowles shot 59.5% from the field, the second-best percentage in franchise history and fourth-highest in the WNBA this season, and hit 71.7% from the line."
Aside from finishing fourth in rebounding and blocks, the 6-foot-6 Fowles posted a defensive rating of 92.7 and 3.0 defensive win shares, both league-bests.

Fowles' rim protection has been a key to the Lynx's success during their championship run in 2015, and with her presence, the team has a solid chance of finally making it back to back.

UPDATE:

Fowles joined Los Angeles Sparks' Nneka Ogwumike and Alana Beard, Indiana Fever's Briann January, and Atlanta Dream's Angel McCoughtry in the 2016 WNBA All-Defensive First Team.

Included in the Second Team are Seattle Storm's Breanna Stewart, Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner, Fever's Tamika Catchings, New York Liberty's Tanisha Wright, and Connecticut Sun's Jasmine Thomas.

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