For the four seasons that she graced the floors of the PMAC, Seimone Augustus placed the LSU women’s basketball program in the top tier of the nation’s elites with the likes of Connecticut, Tennessee and Duke. But while Augustus excelled and took the Lady Tigers to the mountain, LSU will get over the mountain thanks to the most dominant player in the program’s history, senior center Sylvia Fowles. Augustus was the leader of three Final Four teams from 2003-05, but each of the three teams had other All-American players like Doneeka Hodges, Temeka Johnson and then Fowles in 2005. This past season, Fowles advanced to the Final Four with only one other player on the LSU roster averaging in double figures, then-junior guard Quianna Chaney. Augustus needed Fowles more than Fowles would have needed Augustus. Augustus is no doubt a more prolific scorer than her 6-foot-6-inch former teammate, averaging more than 19 points per game throughout her career and shooting an insane 50 percent from the field. But Fowles is no slouch either on the offensive end of the floor, averaging nearly 16 points per game, and hey, she can dunk, too – just ask Louisiana-Lafayette junior guard Whitney Dunlap who will forever be on posters across Louisiana for her attempts to challenge Fowles’ attempt to make LSU history. The one offensive hole “Big Syl” has had throughout her career was free-throw shooting, but the Miami native hit the gym hard this summer and is now shooting a reasonable 74 percent, compared to just 59 percent in her first three seasons. The major difference between the two blue-chippers and future LSU Athletics Hall-of-Fame inductees is the impact Fowles makes on the defense. Fowles is a beast in the paint, grabbing more than 10 rebounds per game and blocking two shots per game, while altering several dozens more. This past season and so far this season, Fowles has challenged and defeated the best post players in the nation like former Ohio State center Jessica Davenport and Tennessee junior center Candace Parker, who was limited to just four points in LSU’s 63-54 SEC Tournament victory over the Lady Volunteers this past March. This season, Fowles has also proved she can excel when she is not the biggest kid on the playground, shutting down 6-foot-9-inch Michigan State sophomore center Allyssa DeHann to the tune of just eight points on 4-11 shooting in LSU’s Nov. 15 victory over the Spartans. The one player Fowles has yet to triumph in her career, however is Rutgers junior center Kia Vaughn. Against Vaughn’s Scarlet Knights, Fowles has averaged just nine points per game, including just fives points in an embarrassing 59-35 Rutgers victory in this past season’s Final Four. Augustus, on the other hand, was never known as LSU’s best defender, rather choosing to save her energies for dominance on the offensive end of the floor. In Augustus’ four seasons, former LSU guard Scholanda Hoston always played the role of the team’s grittiest defender, doing the dirty work on the defensive end of the floor which allowed Augustus to take the credit for the team’s successes, because as we all know, offense is what puts people in the seats and sells tickets. The Lady Tigers are off to a bit of a slow start this season, only having a modest 4-2 record with two road losses against fellow top-10 opponents, but let us not forget LSU is still in the transition of learning the nuances of Hall of Fame coach Van Chancellor’s system. It’s safe to say that come March, LSU will be more equipped than ever to make its “Drive for Five” a successful one. There is no doubt Augustus is one of the best players to ever grace the state of Louisiana, but while offense wins games, defense wins championships, and as a result, Fowles has cemented her position as the greatest player in the history of LSU women’s basketball.
—-Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]