Hall of Famer Sylvia Fowles is joining the Portland Fire as an assistant coach for the organization's inaugural season, a source told ESPN.
Fowles will be on the front of the bench assisting Portland head coach Alex Sarama.
Fowles had multiple coaching opportunities around the WNBA ahead of next season, the source said, but felt that Portland was the best fit for her. According to the source, 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.
Fowles played in the WNBA from 2008 to 2022, with the Chicago Sky for her first six seasons and the Minnesota Lynx for her last seven.
She was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year four times -- with only Tamika Catchings having won more (five). Fowles is fourth all time in WNBA blocks and retired as the league's all-time leading rebounder before being surpassed by Tina Charles last season.
Fowles won two WNBA titles with the Lynx (2015 and 2015), and was awarded Finals MVP honors in both championships. In 2017, she was also voted league MVP.
On the international stage, Fowles won four Olympic gold medals from 2008 to 2021. She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in April 2025.
Fowles is joining a coaching system in Portland that will be heavily focused on player development and use "CLA" (Constraints-Led Approach), which has become popular in Europe, but is less commonly used in American basketball.
The Fire will tip off their first season in 2026, along with the Toronto Tempo.