MN Lynx Roster Changes

 Minnesota Lynx Re-Sign Center Sylvia Fowles

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has re-signed free-agent center Sylvia Fowles. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“I was grateful for the opportunity to join the Lynx family last year and am now officially looking forward to more success together,” said Sylvia Fowles. “It’s an honor to be back."

Fowles started all 18 games regular season games following the All-Star Break in her debut season with the Lynx in 2015 and averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. She posted seven double-doubles, increasing her career total to 99 and passed Tamika Catching’s for third place on the WNBA’s career list. Fowles was named the 2015 WNBA Finals MVP after averaging 15.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in the five-game series vs. Indiana.

“We are excited to have Sylvia re-sign with the Minnesota Lynx organization,” said Executive Vice President Roger Griffith. “Sylvia joined the organization midway through the 2015 season and played a pivotal role in winning our third WNBA Championship. We are excited to have her here for a complete season and we look forward to defending the 2016 WNBA title with her.”

Originally drafted second overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, Fowles has averaged 15.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 204 career regular season games (195 starts). She was named a WNBA All-Star in 2009, 2011 and 2013 and is a two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the year (2011, 2013). Fowles is a two-time All-WNBA First Team selection (2010, 2013), as well as a four-time All-WNBA Defensive First Team selection (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013).

Fowles won Olympic gold medals with the USA Basketball Women’s National Team at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games. She currently ranks seventh all-time among U.S. Olympic players for rebounds (85) and eighth for field goal percentage (.643). She was recently named a finalist for the 2016 US. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team along with Lynx teammates Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen.

Prior to the WNBA, Fowles played for Louisiana State University from 2004-2008. During her four years, she helped lead LSU to a 125-21 record (.856), three Southeastern Conference regular season titles, twice earning perfect league records, and four NCAA Finals Fours. She was named the NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player three times (2006, 2007, 2008) and was named WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. In her freshman and sophomore seasons (2004-06), Fowles teamed up with current Lynx guard Seimone Augustus.

Minnesota Lynx Re-Sign Guard Renee Montgomery

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has re-signed free agent guard Renee Montgomery. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“We are excited to have Renee return to the Minnesota Lynx organization in 2016,” said Executive Vice President Roger Griffith. “Renee added a spark to our roster following the trade last season and she will play a key role for us as we look to defend the 2016 WNBA title.”

Montgomery was originally drafted by the Minnesota Lynx with the fourth overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft and played that season with the Lynx. After being traded in 2010, Montgomery returned to Minnesota on July 20, 2015, after beginning the season in Seattle. She averaging 5.7 points, 2.5 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game for the Lynx. The 5-7 guard played in 17 games for the Storm prior to being traded to Minnesota, averaging 7.1 points, 3.0 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game.

The West Virginia native appeared in nine playoff games in 2015, averaging 3.7 points, 0.9 assists and 0.3 rebounds per game. In her career she has appeared in 16 playoff games, including two starts, with Connecticut in 2011 and 2012 and Minnesota in 2015, averaging 5.8 points, 2.1 assists and 0.8 rebounds per game. Montgomery was named to the 2011 Eastern Conference All-Star team as a reserve and went on to be named the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year in 2012 after averaging 11.8 points in 34 games off the bench.

During her first season with Minnesota in 2009, Montgomery was named to the 2009 Adidas All-Rookie Team and averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game. She was traded to the Connecticut Sun in 2010 along with the first pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft, as part of the trade that brought current Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen and the second overall pick in that draft to Minnesota. Montgomery spent five seasons with the Sun before she was acquired by Seattle on Jan. 28, 2015 from Connecticut with the third and 15th picks in the 2015 WNBA Draft for Shekinna Stricklen and Camille Little.

Prior to the WNBA, Montgomery attended the University of Connecticut and led the Huskies to a 138-11 record in her four-year collegiate career that included two trips to the NCAA Women’s Final Four, four NCAA Regionals, four BIG EAST regular season titles and three BIG EAST Tournament crowns.

Lynx Acquire Forward Natasha Howard from Indiana

Devereaux Peters sent to Fever

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has executed a sign-and-trade deal with Indiana, sending restricted free agent Devereaux Peters to the Fever in exchange for forward Natasha Howard.

Howard, originally drafted by the Indiana Fever with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft, comes to the Lynx with career averages of 5.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 14.4 minutes per game. Last season with the Fever, Howard played in 30 regular season games, averaging 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.

In her rookie season, Howard played in all 34 games and made 15 starts for the Fever. She recorded 11 double-digit scoring games with two games of 20 or more points and finished her rookie campaign averaging 7.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

The Toledo, Ohio, native has appeared in 13 career playoff games with Indiana in 2014 and 2015, averaging 2.2 points and 0.7 rebounds per game. During the 2015 WNBA Finals against the Lynx, Howard averaged 3.8 points and 0.6 rebounds in five games, including scoring a playoff career high seven points in Game 4.

Prior to the WNBA, Howard attended Florida State University and finished her career as Florida State’s career leader in rebounds (1,047) and double-doubles (41), second in career points (1,811) and third in blocks (186). She finished her senior season with the Seminoles averaging 20.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.1 steals.

Peters, originally drafted by Minnesota with the third overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft, holds career averages of 4.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 125 regular season games. The 6-1 forward averaged 3.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists last season with the 2015 WNBA Champion Minnesota Lynx. Peter played 31 playoffs games in her four years with the Lynx, averaging 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds while earning two WNBA Championships.