Tamika Catchings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tamika Catchings

Catchings in 2011
Personal information
Born	(1979-07-21) July 21, 1979 (age 46) Stratford, New Jersey, U.S.
High school	Adlai E. Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Illinois) Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	167 lb (76 kg)
Career information
College	Tennessee (1997–2001)
NBA Draft	2001 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Indiana Fever
Pro career	2002–2016
Career history
2002–2016	Indiana Fever
2003	Chuncheon Woori Bank Hansae
2005–2006	Spartak Moscow
2006–2007	Chuncheon Woori Bank Hansae
2008–2009	Lotos Gdynia
2009–2011	Galatasaray
Career highlights and awards
WNBA champion (2012) WNBA Finals MVP (2012) WNBA MVP (2011) 10× WNBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011, 2013–2015) 7× All-WNBA First Team (2002, 2003, 2006, 2009–2012) 5× All-WNBA Second Team (2004, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015) 5× WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012) 10× WNBA All-Defensive First Team (2005–2013, 2015) 2× WNBA All-Defensive Second Team (2014, 2016) 8× WNBA steals leader (2002, 2005–2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016) WNBA Rookie of the Year (2002) WNBA 10th Anniversary Team (2006) WNBA 15th Anniversary Team (2011) WNBA 20th Anniversary Team (2016) WNBA 25th Anniversary Team (2021) Indiana Fever No. 24 retired 3× Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award (2010, 2013, 2016) 2x Dawn Staley Leadership Award (2008, 2016) Polish National League champion (2009) 2× Turkish Cup winner (2010, 2011) NCAA champion (1998) AP Player of the Year (2000) Naismith College Player of the Year (2000) USBWA National Player of the Year (2000) WBCA Player of the Year (2000) 2x First-team All-American – AP (1999, 2000) 2x Second-team All-American – AP (1998, 2001) 4x Kodak All-American (1998–2001) 3x All-American – USBWA (1999–2001) Second-team All-SEC (2001) 3x First-team All-SEC (1998–2000) USBWA National Freshman of the Year (1998) SEC Freshman of the Year (1998) SEC All-Freshman Team (1998) Naismith Prep Player of the Year (1997)
Career WNBA statistics
Points	7,380 (16.1 ppg)
Rebounds	3,315 (7.3 rpg)
Assists	1,488 (3.3 apg)
Medals Women's basketball Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Team Gold 2008 Beijing Team Gold 2012 London Team Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team World Championship Gold 2002 China Gold 2010 Czech Republic Bronze 2006 Brazil FIBA Under-19 World Cup Gold 1997 Brazil Team Competition FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship Silver 1996 Mexico Team

Tamika Devonne Catchings (born July 21, 1979) is an American retired professional basketball player. She played her entire 15-year career for the Indiana Fever in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Many people consider Catchings one of the greatest female basketball players ever. She has won many awards, including a WNBA championship in 2012 and the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2011. She also earned five WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards and four Olympic gold medals.

Catchings also won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2002. Before joining the WNBA, she won an NCAA championship with the University of Tennessee Lady Vols in 1998. She is one of only 11 women to win an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a FIBA World Cup gold, and a WNBA Championship. Fans voted her one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time in 2011. She was also named to the WNBA Top 20@20 in 2016 and The W25 in 2021. Catchings was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Early Life and College Basketball

Tamika Catchings was born in New Jersey. She lived in Italy for a year when she was young. Her father, Harvey Catchings, played professional basketball there. During this time, she became friends with Kobe Bryant.

Catchings played high school basketball at both Adlai E. Stevenson High School and Duncanville High School. She was named a WBCA All-American. She also made history by being the first player to officially record a quintuple-double. This means she had double-digit numbers in five different stats in one game: 25 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals, and 10 blocks!

She then played college basketball for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball from 1997 to 2001. In 2000, she won several top awards, including the Naismith College Player of the Year. As a freshman, she helped her team win the National Championship in 1998. That team was undefeated!

College Statistics

Here are Tamika Catchings' college basketball statistics. These numbers show how well she played in different areas of the game.

Source

WNBA Career Highlights

The Indiana Fever picked Tamika Catchings third overall in the 2001 WNBA draft. She missed her first season due to an injury. But in 2002, she had an amazing year and was named WNBA Rookie of the Year. She quickly became a key player for the Fever.

Catchings was known for her defense. She won the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award five times (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2012). She also led the league in steals eight times.

In 2009, Catchings helped the Fever reach the WNBA Finals for the first time. They played against the Phoenix Mercury in a close series but lost 3-2.

In 2011, Catchings was named the WNBA Most Valuable Player. She led the Fever to a great record that year.

Winning a WNBA Championship

The biggest moment of her career came in 2012. Catchings led the Indiana Fever to win the WNBA Championship! They defeated the Minnesota Lynx 3-1 in the Finals. Catchings scored 25 points in the final game and was named the WNBA Finals MVP. This was a huge achievement for her and the team.

Breaking Records

Catchings continued to break records throughout her career. In 2014, she became the WNBA's all-time leading playoff scorer. She passed Lisa Leslie's record of 908 playoff points. She also passed Leslie for most career playoff rebounds.

In October 2014, Catchings announced that she would retire after the 2016 Summer Olympics. She said she was thankful for her career and looked forward to new things.

In 2015, she was chosen for her 10th WNBA All-Star team. This set a new record for most All-Star appearances. The Fever made it back to the Finals that year but lost to the Minnesota Lynx.

In 2016, Catchings became the WNBA's all-time leader in regular season rebounds. Her final WNBA game was a playoff game on September 21, 2016.

When she retired, Catchings held many WNBA records. She was first in career playoff scoring and rebounds. She was also first in total career steals and steals per game. She made the playoffs for 12 straight seasons, which is another record.

WNBA Career Statistics

These tables show Tamika Catchings' statistics from her WNBA career.

†	Denotes seasons in which Catchings won a WNBA championship
	WNBA record

Regular Season Stats

Postseason Stats

USA Basketball Career

Tamika Catchings was a very important player for the USA women's national basketball team. She helped the team win many gold medals.

She won four Olympic gold medals with Team USA:

• 2004 Athens
• 2008 Beijing
• 2012 London
• 2016 Rio de Janeiro

She also won two gold medals at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in 2002 and 2010. These championships are like the World Cup for basketball.

Playing Overseas

During the WNBA off-season, Catchings also played basketball in other countries. She played in South Korea, Russia, Poland, and Turkey. Playing overseas allowed her to continue developing her skills and experience different basketball styles.

Life After Basketball

After retiring from playing in 2016, Tamika Catchings stayed involved in basketball and her community.

In 2017, she became a game analyst for women's basketball on the SEC Network. This means she helps explain the games on TV.

She also bought a tea shop called Tea's Me Cafe in Indianapolis. She had been a customer there for a long time. The cafe has grown and now has three locations.

From 2020 to 2022, Catchings served as the Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager for the Indiana Fever. This shows her continued leadership in the sport.

Helping the Community

Tamika Catchings is also known for her work off the court. In 2004, she started the Catch the Stars Foundation. This organization helps children who might not have many opportunities. It offers basketball camps, fitness programs, and reading help. The goal is to help kids succeed in sports and school.

Catchings also uses her voice to support important causes. She has spoken out for human rights and against violence. She believes in using her platform to make a positive difference in the world.

Personal Life

Tamika Catchings comes from a basketball family. Her father, Harvey Catchings, played in the NBA. Her sister, Tauja, also played basketball professionally.

Catchings has hearing impairment. When she was young, she stopped using her hearing aids. But before she started playing at the University of Tennessee, her coach encouraged her to use them again. She has been honored for her achievements despite this challenge.

In 2016, Tamika Catchings married Parnell Smith, who also played basketball. She is also a Christian and often talks about how her faith guides her life.

Awards and Achievements

Catchings waving at the WNBA Top 20@20 ring ceremony. WNBA president Lisa Borders at left

• 2011 WNBA MVP
• 2012 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
• Ten-time WNBA All-Star Selection (a record for most appearances)
• Six-time All-WNBA Team selection
• First player to record a quintuple-double in high school (25 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals, 10 blocks in 1997)
• WKBL (South Korea League) 2003 Winter League, 2003 Summer League, 2006 Winter League Finals MVP
• Three-time Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award winner (2010, 2013, 2016)
• 2016 – Awarded a star on The Flag for Hope for her basketball career and charity work.
• 2020 – Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
• 2024 – Inaugural Recipient of the Kevin R. Armstrong Ethical Leadership Award (University of Indianapolis)

See also

In Spanish: Tamika Catchings para niños

• List of WNBA career rebounding leaders
• Deaf people in the Olympics