Tamika Catchings

Tamika Devonne Catchings (born July 21, 1979) is an American retired professional basketball player who played her entire 15-year career for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Catchings was an All-American with the Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball for 1997–2001.

As a freshman on the undefeated 1997–98 National champions, she was part of the "Three Meeks" with Semeka Randall and Chamique Holdsclaw.

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She earned the Naismith College Player of the Year award, the AP Player of the Year award, the USBWA Women's National Player of the Year award, and the WBCA Player of the Year award in 2000.

With this she became the fourth fastest player to score 2000 career points in the WNBA, reaching the milestone in only four seasons of play.

She is also the fastest to 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists, and 300 steals.

Catchings was drafted 3rd overall by the Indiana Fever in 2001.

Unable to play in the 2001 season due to an ACL injury sustained during her senior year at Tennessee, she had an outstanding year in 2002 and was named WNBA Rookie of the Year while averaging 18.6 ppg, immediately making an impact on the Fever roster in her first year as a pro.

During her rookie season, in a regular season game against the Minnesota Lynx, Catchings had tied a then WNBA record, 9 steals (which has since been broken by Ticha Penicheiro).

That year, the Fever made it to the playoffs and despite losing 2–1 in the first round, Catchings had a dominant series, averaging a playoff career-high 20.3 ppg.

Catchings's best season of her career would be in the 2003 season, where she averaged a career-high 19.7 ppg although the Fever never made it to the playoffs that year.

In 2005, Catchings scored her 2,000th point in the Women's National Basketball Association.

In 2005, Catchings was also named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Catchings then repeated as Defensive Player of the Year in 2006.

In 2006, Catchings was voted into the 2006 WNBA All-Star Game, and was also the leading vote-getter, but had to sit out because of a foot injury.

At half-time she was announced as a member of the All-Decade Team along with nine other players and former Comets coach Van Chancellor.

Five years later she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in the fifteen-year history of the WNBA.

Months before the 2008 season, the Fever traded for hometown all-star shooting guard Katie Douglas (who would play with the team until 2013) to pair up with Catchings, forming an all-star duo to compete for a championship and strengthen their lineup.

However, the Fever fell way short of championship contention in 2008 as they were eliminated in the first round by the Detroit Shock during the playoffs.

She was again named Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, 2010 and 2012.

In 2009, the Fever would have more postseason success, as the chemistry developed between Catchings and Douglas, the Fever would advance to the WNBA finals, making it Catchings's first finals appearance.

Prior to this, Catchings led the league in steals with 2.9 spg and helped lead the Fever to a 22–12 record, earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

In the finals they faced the Phoenix Mercury and had a 2–1 series lead but would lose the next two games to be defeated in the finals 3–2.

In 2011, Catchings was voted in by fans as one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time, and would be named to two more all-time WNBA teams, the WNBA Top 20@20 in 2016 and The W25 in 2021.

In 2011, Catchings won WNBA Most Valuable Player while averaging 15.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.5 apg and 2.0 spg also leading the Fever to a 21–13 record, topping the Eastern Conference standings.

However, in the playoffs she performed poorly offensively averaging a playoff career low 10.0 ppg.

The Fever would end up making it to the Eastern Conference finals where they got eliminated 2–1 to the Atlanta Dream.

In game 2 of the series, Catchings suffered a right foot injury.

Although she was able to play in game 3, she had a sub-par performance following the injury, playing only 10 minutes and was 0 for 4 from the field.

Catchings has won a WNBA championship (2012), WNBA Most Valuable Player Award (2011), WNBA Finals MVP Award (2012), five WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012), four Olympic gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016), and the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2002).

She is one of only 11 women to receive an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a Fiba World cup gold and a WNBA Championship.

She has also been selected to ten WNBA All-Star teams, 12 All-WNBA teams, 12 All-Defensive teams and led the league in steals eight times.

Catchings served as President of the WNBA Players Association from 2012 to 2016.

She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Catchings was born in New Jersey.

She lived in Italy for one year while her father Harvey Catchings played professional basketball for Segafredo Gorizia, during which time she befriended Kobe Bryant.

She played for both Adlai E. Stevenson High School and Duncanville High School, where she was named a WBCA All-American.

Catchings participated in the WBCA High School All-America Game where she scored twelve points.

She is also the first player at any level in history to be officially credited with scoring a quintuple-double (25 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals and 10 blocks).