Chicago Sky Center Sylvia Fowles Named 2013 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year
Published on September 20, 2013 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2013 - Sylvia Fowles of the Chicago Sky was named the 2013 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, the WNBA announced today.
Fowles, who also was named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, received 21 out of 39 votes from a national panel of 39 sportswriters and broadcasters. She e dged out five-time winner Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever who collected 16 votes. The Atlanta Dream's Angel McCoughtry and the Seattle Storm's Tanisha Wright each received one vote.
The 6-6 Fowles finished second in the WNBA in blocks (2.44 bpg), anchoring a stout Sky defense that led the WNBA in opponent field goal percentage (.404), while allowing the fourth-fewest points per game (73.59). Fowles led the WNBA in rebounding (11.5 rpg), and was one of only two players (Connecticut's Tina Charles) to average a double-double on the season, finishing with a scoring average of 16.3 points.
Fowles captured WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors in July, August, and September, as the Sky finished with a record of 24-10, good for the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, as Chicago reached the postseason for the first time in franchise history. She joins Catchings, Teresa Weatherspoon, Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie as the only players to win the award more than once.
Fowles, the second overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft, was named an All-Star for the third time this season, and sports career averages of 16.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over a distinguished six-year career.
In honor of being named the Defensive Player of the Year, Fowles will receive $5,000 and a trophy specially designed by Tiffany & Co.
Below are the complete results of the 2013 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year votes and a list of past recipients:
2013 WNBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR VOTING RESULTS
21 Sylvia Fowles Chicago Sky
16 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
1 Angel McCoughtry Atlanta Dream
1 Tanisha Wright Seattle Storm
ALL-TIME WNBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS
2013 Sylvia Fowles Chicago Sky
2012 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
2011 Sylvia Fowles Chicago Sky
2010 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
2009 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
2008 Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks
2007 Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm
2006 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
2005 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
2004 Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks
2003 Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets
2002 Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets
2001 Debbie Black Miami Sol
2000 Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets
1999 Yolanda Griffith Sacramento Monarchs
1998 Teresa Weatherspoon New York Liberty
1997 Teresa Weatherspoon New York Liberty
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from September 20, 2013
- Storm Falls to the Lynx in Game 1 of the Playoffs, 80-64 - Seattle Storm
- Lynx Forward Rebekkah Brunson Named to WNBA All-Defensive Second Team - Minnesota Lynx
- Delle Donne Unanimously Voted Rookie of the Year - Chicago Sky
- Atlanta Dream's Alex Bentley Named to WNBA All-Rookie Team - Atlanta Dream
- Liberty Forward Kelsey Bone Named to 2013 WNBA All-Rookie Team - New York Liberty
- Dream's McCoughtry, Herrington and De Souza Named to WNBA All-Defensive Teams - Atlanta Dream
- Chicago Sky's Elena Delle Donne Named 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year - WNBA
- Swin Cash Receives 2013 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award - Chicago Sky
- Sylvia Fowles Named 2013 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year - Chicago Sky
- Tanisha Wright Named to 2013 WNBA All-Defensive First Team - Seattle Storm
- Chicago Sky Center Sylvia Fowles Named 2013 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year - WNBA
- Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings Receive 2013 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award - WNBA
- Chicago Sky 2013 Playoffs to be Presented by EA Sports - Chicago Sky
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
