Tamika Catchings

infobox WNBA Player
name = Tamika Catchings
nickname = Catch, Meek, Mika


caption = Catchings handles the ball
position = Small Forward
height_ft = 6 | height_in = 2
weight_lbs = 167
nationality = USA
birth_date = birth date and age|1979|7|21
birth_place = Stratford, New Jersey
college = University of Tennessee 01'
team = Indiana Fever
number = 24
draft = 3^rd overall
draft_year = 2001
draft_team = Indiana Fever
career_start = 2002
career_end =
awards = Member of All-Decade Team
Olympic Gold Medalist (2004)
WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award (2006, 2005)
WNBA Rookie of the Year (2002)

Tamika Devonne Catchings (born July 21, 1979 in Stratford, New Jersey) is an American WNBA player who plays for the Indiana Fever. She is a prolific scorer close to and far from the basket, as well as a capable rebounder, ball handler and defender. After playing at Adlai E. Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire, IL) and graduating from Duncanville High School, Tamika Catchings became one of the stars of the University of Tennessee women's basketball team. In 2001, she was drafted by the Indiana Fever. After sitting out her rookie year due to injury, she had an all-star rookie season in 2002.

Career

An All-American with the Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball for 1997-2001, Catchings was drafted by the Indiana Fever in 2001. Unable to play her rookie season, she had an outstanding year in 2002 and was named WNBA Rookie of the Year for that year. She has led Indiana Fever in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in all six of her WNBA seasons. Catchings played for the USA Women's Basketball Team at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, helping the team win the gold medal.

In 2005, she scored her 2,000th point in the WNBA. With this she became the 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. 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, she was voted in to 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 9 other players and former Comets coach Van Chancellor.

Catchings is a 5-time WNBA All-Star and 5-time All-WNBA selection. She is also President of the WNBA Players Association.

Personal

Catchings is the daughter of former NBA player Harvey Catchings. Her sister Tauja also played basketball at Stevenson and the University of Illinois, was drafted by the WNBA and now plays in Sweden. Tamika's cousin Bobby is a starting forward for Eastern Illinois University's basketball team. Tamika majored in Sports Management at the University of Tennessee.

Catchings helped Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire, Illinois) to Illinois' IHSA Div. AA State Championship in her Sophomore year in 1995 under head coach Frank Mattucci before moving to Texas. [Williams, Lena. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E2DF173CF930A3575BC0A9629C8B63 "OLYMPICS; Taking a Legacy To New Heights"] , "The New York Times", August 3, 2004. Accessed November 4, 2007. "Even now that Tamika, 25, is a star in her own right, her father's legacy continues to shadow her. It was there at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Ill."] Her sophomore year at Stevenson she won Illinois Ms. Basketball (which at the time was the youngest player to ever win the award). In addition to leading Duncanville High to the state basketball title in her senior season (she played only two years at Duncanville after moving from the Chicago area), she also led the volleyball team to its only state title as a junior.

Catchings was born with a hearing disability, she wore a hearing aid as a young girl. In 2000, she was honored with the Reynolds Society Achievement Award by the world-famous Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. Catchings is a leading figure in the Indianapolis community, having started the Catch the Stars Foundation, Inc. which helps disadvantaged youth achieve their dreams. On June 24, 2008 Catchings was awarded the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award for her work in the Indianapolis community with her foundation. [cite web | url = http://aol.wnba.com/cares/staleyaward_catchings_080624.html | title = Indiana’s Tamika Catchings Named Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award Recipient | publisher = WNBA.com | date = 2008-06-24 | accessdate = 2008-06-25]

Catchings refereed a game of 3-on-3 basketball played by Barack Obama along with local students Kokomo, Indiana at the Maple Crest Middle School on April 25, 2008. Fever teammate Alison Bales also played on Obama's team.

References

External links

*
* [http://www.catchin24.com Tamika Catchings's Official Website]
* [http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_21633.htm Tamika Catchings' U.S. Olympic Profile]
* [http://www.wnba.com/fever/ Indiana Fever Official Website]