When you think of player rivalries, you often think of LeBron James and Stephen Curry, or Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, or Lauren Jackson and Lisa Leslie but what about a rivalry that has gone all the way back to college? I know what you’re thinking of Magic and Bird. No, I’m talking about Candace Parker and Sylvia Fowles.
Tennessee vs. LSU: The College Days
These two queens have been battling since their college days. Both of them attended schools within the SEC; Parker at Tennessee and Fowles at LSU. The battles between these two women during the SEC championships were unforgettable.
One of the most memorable games from these ladies’ tenure during their college career was the 2008 Final Four. Parker, who was nursing a dislocated shoulder was seeking to bring her Tennessee group back to the National Championship to defend their 2007 title. And Fowles was working to get her LSU squad there for the first time.
In the end, it was Parker’s team who prevailed on a last second go ahead bucket by Alexis Hornbuckle.
The match-ups between Parker and Fowles wouldn’t stop there; after being drafted No. 1 (Parker) and No. 2(Fowles) in the WNBA draft; these two rising stars would put on shows for seasons to come.
The WNBA: Los Angeles vs. Minnesota
In 2016 Parker and Fowles would come head to head once again, this time in the WNBA Finals. Parker was searching for her first WNBA championship with the LA Sparks while Fowles was looking to capture her second championship in her early two years with Minnesota after leaving the Chicago Sky.
After a five-game series that has been regarded as the best Finals in WNBA history, it was Parker and the Sparks who captured the championship with Parker winning finals MVP.
Just a year later the two would meet again in the WNBA Finals with Fowles and Minnesota getting their revenge and taking home the franchise’s fourth championship.
USA Basketball: The Team Up
Parker and Fowles always seem like they’re on opposite sides of the competition, but on some rare occasions, the two team up and play for the same side. In 2008 and 2012 both Fowles and Parker helped team USA capture gold medals in the Summer Olympics.
With so much history between these two phenomenal women, it was only fitting that both were inducted into the SEC Hall of Fame at the same time.
The Legacies they’ll leave behind
Both Parker and Fowles are on their 14th season in the WNBA. And are at the tail ends of their career; let’s enjoy this while it lasts and when it’s all over, we all had the honor of watching one of the greatest basketball matchups in history.
Follow me on Twitter @WNBAUncut and check out Beyond Women’s Sports for more articles on amazing women and their sport.
