Months after a Hall of Fame induction, former MVP Sylvia Fowles is back in the WNBA scene with a new off-court role.

Though the 2026 schedule is still unconfirmed due to the CBA, the WNBA will have 2 new teams in the mix. Per ESPN's sources, ex-Minnesota Lynx star Sylvia Fowles will be joining the expansion team, Portland Fire, as an assistant coach alongside HC Alex Sarama.

Kendra Andrews of ESPN revealed that Fowles turned down multiple coaching offers for next season to join the Portland Fire, as it felt like the best fit.

As per ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Fowles chose ESPN for a reason. "She liked the concept of being a part of an expansion franchise in its first year — building from the ground up and working with a new batch of players she doesn't have particularly strong ties to."

It seems Fowles plans to use the Constraints-Led Approach. The idea is to use game-specific situations to teach players adaptability and run drills accordingly. It's a common practice in Europe, where Fowles played for a short time.

The 40-year-old veteran comes with an experience of 15 seasons in the WNBA from 2008-2022. She was the overall No. 2 pick with the Chicago Sky (2008-2014) and then traded to the Minnesota Lynx (2014-2022).

Defense had always been Fowles' strength as she earned the Defense Player of the Year 4 times. As a 2 time block champion in the WNBA, her record of all-time blocks (721) places her 4th on the all-time list.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar