MOSCOW — Former LSU All-American center Sylvia Fowles capped her overseas season with three postseason awards en route to guiding her Spartak Moscow team to a third straight EuroLeague championship this month.
Fowles was named the EuroLeague Center of the Year, the Defensive Player of the Year and the Import Player of the Year after averaging 15.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 17 games. She ranked in the league’s top five in eight categories, including a league-best 63.1 field goal percentage.
Fowles, who also earned EuroLeague first team honors, led the league in double-doubles with eight while ranking second in blocked shots and fourth in rebounds. Her finest performance came midway through the season when she poured in a game-high 27 points to go along with 11 rebounds in defeating USK Prague.
Fowles had 12 points and six boards in 23 minutes in the championship game against Halcon Avenida as Spartak Moscow became the first club ever to win the EuroLeague title three years in a row.
Fowles was a member of four Final Four teams at LSU and earned State Farm All-America honors twice in her career. In 2007-08, she was named the SEC Player of the Year and the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year while becoming a consensus All-American.
Last summer, Fowles joined former LSU teammate Seimone Augustus on Team USA in capturing an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. Fowles begins her second WNBA season with the Chicago Sky in June. She averaged 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds and was selected to the WNBA All-Rookie team in her first season.
Fowles returns to LSU in May as she will receive her bachelor’s degree in general studies during spring commencement.