Big Syl featured on ESPN.com by Mechelle Voepel

The following is part of an article written by Mechelle Voepel for ESPN.com:

Chicago Sky center Sylvia Fowles is the youngest of five siblings in her family … yet being a kind of older-sister type actually comes easily to her.

 "It's funny, isn't it? I like it, though," said the 6-foot-6 Fowles. "I accept my role. If that's what it takes, that's what I'm willing to do."

 "Big Syl" as "big sis"? Well, at the very least, she is that to rookie teammate Epiphanny Prince.

 "I cook her food," Fowles said, chuckling.

 And to sixth-year pro Cathrine Kraayeveld -- another newcomer this season to the Sky, although not to the WNBA -- Fowles is just a "sister" -- not necessarily the "big" kind. She doesn't need a protective instinct with Kraayeveld; instead they have bonded because of personality similarities.

 "Cat and I are very, very close," Fowles said. "Actually, we do call each other sisters. We hang out a lot more than anybody on the team. We have so much in common; we are both goofy and outgoing, and we like people."

Fowles, limited by injuries her first two WNBA seasons, is averaging 18.9 points and 8.1 for the Sky, a team that is 5-8 currently this summer and already has been down … and up … and down … and might now be up again.

But Fowles, individually, has avoided that roller coaster. She has scored in double figures in all 13 of the Sky's games and finally feels that she's closer to fulfilling her potential.

The knee/ankle/shoulder injuries that held her to 17 games as a rookie and 24 last season were rough for her, no doubt. But she never got very down about anything.

"I got through it all OK thanks to my mom," Fowles said. "She told me if I keep working at it, things will always get better. I had a good season in Russia, and to come back healthy this year and get off to an OK start in Chicago … I know I can do better, but I'm getting closer to where I should be."

After being such a lockdown defensive presence in college, Fowles wants to extend that in full force in the WNBA and in international competition. And on both offense and defense, she still gets tips/critiques from former LSU assistant coach Bob Starkey.

"He's like my papa," Fowles said. "Even though we had a rough time my freshman year as I was getting used to everything, I know now he's always going to have my back.

"He'll hit me up after games, with texts or by e-mail, telling me what I did well and what I can do better. I might not want to hear it sometimes, especially when we lose. But I always respect he's going to be there through the good, the bad and the ugly."

Fowles believes that earning a playoff spot in the log-jammed-as-usual Eastern Conference is an attainable goal this summer for the Sky … but she also knows the right way to talk about that possibility.

"We have the pieces to put together for the playoffs, but you can never jump too far ahead," Fowles said. "And you have to also be willing to learn as you go along."

Read the entire article: http://es.pn/alb7f8

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Posted by Bob Starkey