Tag: Tamika Catchings

PHOTOS: Tamika Catchings through the years

PHOTOS: Tamika Catchings through the years

Tamika Catchings played for Tennessee from 1997-2001, winning the 1998 national championship.

In 2000, 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.

Catchings was selected No. 3 overall in the first round of the 2001 WNBA draft by Indiana. The former Lady Vol was named the WNBA’s rookie of the year in 2002.

She played for the Fever from 2002-16, winning the 2012 WNBA championship and was named the WNBA Finals most valuable player.

Catchings won four gold medals in the Olympics with Team USA (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016).

The Fever retired Catchings’ jersey No. 24 on June 24, 2017. Tennessee retired Catchings’ jersey No. 24 on Dec. 7, 2003.

Below are photos of Catchings through the years.

Two former Lady Vols named to WNBA W25 team

Two former Lady Vols named to WNBA W25 team.

The WNBA is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and as part of its milestone season the league has released its W25 team.

The squad is comprised of the league’s top 25 players throughout WNBA history.

Two former University of Tennessee players were named to the team. The former Lady Vols on the team are Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker.

Catchings was recently inducted to the Naismith Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville. She works in the front office for the Indiana Fever after a 15-year career in the WNBA.

Catchings earned all-league honors 12 times, was a five-time Defensive Player of the Year and a 10-time all-star. She was the league’s most valuable player in 2011. Catchings won a WNBA championship and a WNBA Finals MVP.

Parker is still active in the WNBA. She plays for the Chicago Sky and was named to the 2021 all-star team.

Parker was the WNBA Finals MVP in 2016 and is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. She was named both MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2008.

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Tamika Catchings to be inducted into Women’s Baketball Hall of Fame

Tamika Catchings to be inducted into Women’s Baketball Hall of Fame.

Former Lady Vols’ basketball player Tamika Catchings will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday.

Catchings, who played for head coach Pat Summitt, was set to be inducted as part of the hall’s 2020 class, but last year’s induction ceremony was postponed due to coronavirus pandemic.

Catchings will join seven others at the 2021 induction ceremonies at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Other inductees include: Debbie Brock (Delta State); Carol Callan (USA Basketball); Swin Cash (Connecticut/U.S. Olympian/WNBA); the late Sue Donohoe (NCAA contributor); Lauren Jackson (WNBA/Australian Olympian); the late David Stern (NBA commissioner) and Carol Stiff (ESPN).

Catchings was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts in May.

She will become the 10th Tennessee basketball player to be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Catchings joins Cindy Noble Hauserman (2000), Patricia Roberts (2000); Holly Warlick (2001); Cindy Brogdon (2002); Daedra Charles-Furlow (2007); Bridgette Gordon (2007); Jill Rankin Schneider (2008); Nikki McCray-Penson (2012) and Chamique Holdsclaw (2018).

Summit, Joan Cronan, Mickie DeMoss and Beth Bass have also been inducted as coaches and administrators.

The 1980 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, which was prevented from competing due to a boycott of the games in Moscow, will be honored as Trailblazers of the Game.

That team had four ties to the Lady Vols including Summitt, who served as an assistant coach. Warlick, Cindy Noble and Jill Rankin were all players on the roster.

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WNBA star and current Indiana Fever …

WNBA star and current Indiana Fever general manager Tamika Catchings joined the demonstration along with former Indiana Pacers player and Broad Ripple High School graduate George Hill and current Butler basketball head coach LaVall Jordan. Catchings says it is important for public figures to encourage people to vote. “But you’re going to be the ones that are going to lead this charge and lead us into that next generation, and we need you guys to step up,” she says.

Former Ohio State guard Mike Conley advances in ESPN’s H-O-R-S-E competition

Former Ohio State and current Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley beat Tamika Catchings to advance to the semis of ESPN’s H-O-R-S-E competition.

And you thought there were no live sports on television. In a nod to trying to get something for sports fans to watch, ESPN has organized a H-O-R-S-E competition between former and current NBA and WNBA stars. There are eight contestants, one of which being former Ohio State and current Utah Jazz star Mike Conley, Jr.

The first round of the much-anticipated tournament tipped off Sunday night, and Conely was scheduled to go against WNBA Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings.

There were some built-in disadvantages for Catchings. Not only did she have to shoot outdoors in the elements of Indiana while Conley got the benefit of shooting in a climate-controlled indoor court, it’s also known that the former Buckeye guard can use both hands equally.

Either way, the contest didn’t last long. Conley went up early and took care of business rather easily with shots with his “weak” hand, and some behind the backboard fun to dispose of Catchings with a final tally of H to H-O-R-S-E.

With the win, Conley advances to the semifinal round against Chauncy Billups who knocked out Trae Young. The semifinals and finals are set for this Thursday at 9 and 11 PM.

In case you missed some of the action, here’s a brief recap courtesy of ESPN video.

 

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A look at Tennessee’s Naismith Hall of Famers

A look at Tennessee’s Naismith Hall of Famers.

KNOXVILLE — When Tamika Catchings was officially selected for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday, she became the first Lady Vol player to be so honored.

Catchings, a first-ballot hall of famer, however, joins two others with University of Tennessee ties being enshrined in Springfield, Mass.

Her coach, Pat Summitt was inducted in 2000. Sumitt, who died from complications from early-onset dementia in 2016, was a true pioneer and trailblazer for women’s basketball.

Summitt won 1,098 games and eight NCAA Tournament championships. Her teams made the Final Four 18 times, won 16 Southeastern Conference Tournament titles and 16 SEC regular-season championships.

In 2013, men’s basketball player Bernard King was inducted to the hall of fame.

He is one of UT’s most decorated players.

With the Volunteers, King was the SEC Player of the Year three times. He was a three-time All-American and his number (53) is retired by the Vols.

In the NBA, King played for the New Jersey Nets (1977-79, 1993), Utah Jazz (1979-80), Golden State Warriors (1980-82), New York Knicks (1982-87) and Washington Bullets (1987-1991).

He was a four-time NBA All-Star and earned numerous honors throughout his professional career.

Catchings is the Indiana Fever’s general manager and one of the WNBA’s most decorated players. She also played professionally overseas, winning a Polish League Title and two Turkish Cups.

She was a WNBA Rookie of the Year, a league MVP and a WNBA Finals MVP.

Tamika Catchings selected to Naismith Hall of Fame

Tamika Catchings selected to Naismith Hall of Fame.

KNOXVILLE — Former University of Tennessee women’s basketball player Tamika Catchings can add another honor to her resume.

Catchings, who played for the Lady Vols from 1997-2001, was selected for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The official announcement was made Saturday.

She is the first Lady Vol player to be inducted and joins legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt in the hall. Summitt was inducted in 2000.

Catchings is the daughter of former NBA player Harvey Catchings, and will go into the hall along with Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Eddie Sutton, Patrick Baumann, Barbara Stevens, Rudy Tomjanovich and Kim Mulkey.

She played on UT’s 1998 National Championship team and has her number, 24, retired by the Lady Vols and the WNBA’s Indiana Fever.

The former Lady Vol is Indiana’s general manager and was drafted by the franchise in the 2001 draft. She was the third overall pick.

Catchings also played in Europe between 2003-11.

She also won Olympic Gold Medals in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, and won two Gold and a Bronze medals in the World Championships.

Catchings was a WNBA Champion, and won titles in Turkey and Poland. She was the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2002 and the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2011 and the WNBA Finals MVP during the same season.