Career

Catchings was born in Stratford, New Jersey. She played for Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, where she was named a WBCA All-American. She 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.

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 "Meeks" with Semeka Randall and Chamique Holdsclaw. Catchings was drafted 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. She has led Indiana Fever in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in 6 of her 11 WNBA seasons. Catchings played for the USA women's basketball team at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, 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. She was again named Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010. Also during the 2009 season she led her Indiana Fever to their first ever Eastern Conference championship, however they fell short in their quest to win the WNBA title as they were defeated in five games by the Phoenix Mercury.

In 2006, she 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 9 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.

Catchings was selected to be a member of the National team representing the USA at the World Championships held in September and October 2010. The team was coached by Geno Auriemma. Because many team members were still playing in the WNBA until just prior to the event, the team had only one day of practice with the entire team before leaving for Ostrava and Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. Even with limited practice, the team managed to win its first games against Greece by 26 points. The team continued to dominate with victory margins exceeding 20 points in the first five games. Several players shared scoring honors, with Swin Cash, Angel McCoughtry, Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, Lindsay Whalen, and Sylvia Fowles all ending as high scorer in the first few games. The sixth game was against undefeated Australia — the USA jumped out to a 24-point lead and the USA prevailed 83-75. The USA won its next two games by over 30 points, then faced the host team, the Czech Republic, in the championship game. The USA team had only a five-point lead at halftime, which was cut to three points, but the Czechs never got closer. Team USA went on to win the championship and gold medal. Catchings averaged 8.8 points per game.

In 2009, Catchings led the league in steals with 2.9 SPG and helped lead the Indiana Fever to a 22-12 record, earning the top seed in the eastern conference. They would end up making it to the finals that year to face 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 won WNBA Most Valuable Player while averaging 15.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.5 APG and 2.0 SPG also leading the Indiana 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 Indiana Fever would end up making it to the eastern conference finals where they got eliminated 2-1 to the Atlanta Dream.

In 2012, the Indiana Fever finished second in the eastern conference with a 22-12 record. They made it back to finals that year, this time against the championship defending Minnesota Lynx, but they would defeat Minnesota 3-1 in the series becoming only the second eastern conference franchise to win a WNBA title. Catchings also won WNBA Finals MVP.

On August 23, 2014 she set the all time WNBA playoff scoring record off a three-point field goal in Game 3 of the eastern conference semifinals against the Washington Mystics surpassing Lisa Leslie's 908 career playoff points. She finished the game with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 7 steals also surpassing Lisa Leslie for most WNBA career playoff rebounds (471).

After the 2014 season she ranks 1st all-time in career playoff points, 1st all-time in career playoff rebounds and 3rd in all-time career regular season scoring. She also holds the WNBA record for most consecutive playoff appearances of 10 straight seasons.

In October 2014 in a TV interview, she revealed that she will be retiring after the 2016 Summer Olympics. She said:

"I will be retiring in 2016, Lord willing, if my body holds up. Although I plan to step away as a player that is not to say I'll step away from the game, hopefully. I am so thankful and blessed to have had an opportunity to play the game I have loved for so long. God has truly blessed me with an amazing playing career, and now it's time to start transitioning to what He has for me beyond the lines of the basketball floor."

WNBA career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game	RPG	Rebounds per game
APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game	BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game
TO	Turnovers per game	FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
Bold	Career high		League leader

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2002	Indiana	32	32	36.5	.419	.394	.815	8.6	3.7	2.9	1.3	2.56	18.6
2003	Indiana	34	34	35.6	.432	.387	.847	8.0	3.4	2.1	1.0	3.0	19.7
2004	Indiana	34	33	33.8	.385	.335	.854	7.3	3.4	2.0	1.1	2.26	16.7
2005	Indiana	34	34	34.5	.383	.285	.788	7.8	4.2	2.6	0.5	2.68	14.7
2006	Indiana	32	32	33.5	.407	.299	.809	7.5	3.7	2.9	1.1	2.47	16.3
2007	Indiana	21	21	32.3	.417	.311	.820	9.0	4.7	3.1	1.0	2.95	16.6
2008	Indiana	25	17	27.8	.391	.432	.800	6.3	3.3	2.0	0.4	2.44	13.3
2009	Indiana	34	34	31.9	.386	.328	.873	7.2	3.1	2.9	0.5	2.59	15.1
2010	Indiana	34	34	31.4	.484	.448	.849	7.1	4.0	2.3	0.9	2.74	18.2
2011	Indiana	33	33	31.5	.438	.348	.883	7.1	3.5	2.0	0.9	2.21	15.5
2012	Indiana	34	34	30.5	.432	.379	.864	7.6	3.1	2.1	0.8	1.74	17.4
2013	Indiana	30	30	31.4	.396	.321	.861	7.1	2.4	2.8	1.0	1.70	17.7
2014	Indiana	16	16	26.8	.446	.368	.790	6.4	1.9	1.7	0.8	2.06	16.1
Career	13 years, 1 team	393	384	32.4	.416	.358	.837	7.5	3.4	2.4	0.9	2.42	16.7

Postseason

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2002	Indiana	3	0	34.3	.489	.381	.818	10.7	2.3	1.3	0.3	3.67	20.3
2005	Indiana	4	4	36.5	.356	.417	.786	9.2	2.2	2.0	0.2	2.75	17.2
2006	Indiana	2	2	31.0	.323	.500	.667	6.0	3.5	1.0	0.5	3.0	14.0
2007	Indiana	6	6	32.7	.370	.263	.878	11.0	3.2	2.2	0.5	1.67	15.8
2008	Indiana	3	3	37.7	.441	.273	.933	7.7	6.0	1.0	0.7	3.67	20.3
2009	Indiana	10	10	35.7	.459	.250	.850	10.4	5.4	3.3	1.4	3.40	17.2
2010	Indiana	3	3	35.7	.413	.357	.813	8.7	3.0	3.0	0.7	1.0	18.7
2011	Indiana	6	5	31.7	.333	.267	.783	8.3	2.3	2.2	0.5	2.5	10.0
2012	Indiana	10	10	34.7	.376	.327	.897	8.5	3.1	2.3	1.8	2.7	19.0
2013	Indiana	4	4	31.0	.431	.333	.781	7.8	2.5	1.5	0.8	2.25	18.5
2014	Indiana	5	5	34.0	.311	.111	.900	9.2	3.2	2.6	0.6	2.0	16.6
Career	11 years, 1 team	56	52	34.2	.391	.311	.854	9.1	3.5	2.3	0,9	2.63	16.9

USA Basketball

Catchings was named to the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team (now called the U18 team). The team participated in the third Junior World Championship, held in Chetumal, Mexico in late August and early September 1996. The USA team won their early games easily, but lost by four points to the team from Brazil, ending up with the silver medal for the event.

Catchings continued with the team when it was invited to the 1997 FIBA Junior World Championship (now called U19) held in Natal, Brazil. After beating Japan, the next game was against Australia, the defending champion. The USA team pulled out to a 13-point lead in the second half, but gave up the lead and lost the game 80-74. She had a double-double in the game with 17 points and ten rebounds. The USA rebounded with a close 92-88 victory over Cuba, helped by 23 points each from Maylana Martin and Lynn Pride. The USA then went on to beat previously unbeaten Russia. After winning the next two games, the USA faced Australia in the gold medal game. The USA team has a three-point lead late, but the Aussies hit a three-pointer with three seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Although the Aussies scored first, Catchings scored to tie the game, then the USA pulled into the lead and held on to win 78-74 to earn the gold, and the first medal for a USA team at a Junior World Championship. Catchings was the second leading scorer for the USA team with 13.2 points per game and the leading rebounder with 7.2 per game.

In 1998, Catchings was named to the team representing the USA at the William Jones Cup competition in Taipei, Taiwan. The USA team won all five games, earning the gold medal for the competition. Catchings averaged 6.4 points per game over the five games.

Catchings was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp in the fall of 2009. The team selected to play for the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics is usually chosen from these participants. At the conclusion of the training camp, the team will travel to Ekaterinburg, Russia, where they compete in the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational.

Catchings was named as one of the National team members to represent the USA Basketball team in the WNBA versus USA Basketball. This game replaces the normal WNBA All-Star game with WNBA All-Stars versus USA Basketball, as part of the preparation for the FIBA World Championship for Women to be held in the Czech Republic during September and October 2010.

Catchings was one of 21 finalists for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team Roster. The 20 professional women's basketball payers, plus one collegiate player (Brittney Griner), were selected by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee to compete for the final roster which will represent the USA at the 2012 Olympics in London. She was selected for the final roster, and was part of the US team that won the gold medal.

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 to Illinois's IHSA Div. AA State Championship in her Sophomore year in 1995 under head coach Frank Mattucci before moving to Texas. During 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 loss; 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.

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

Awards and achievements

• 2011 WNBA MVP
• Ten-time WNBA All-Star Selection; appeared in nine All-Star Games. She has sole possession of the record for most appearances and selections.
• Six-time All-WNBA Team
• The first of two recorded Quintuple-double with Duncanville High School (Duncanville, Texas) with 25 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals and 10 blocks in 1997.
• WBCBL Professional Basketball Trailblazer Award
• WKBL (South Korea League) 2003 Winter League, 2003 Summer League, 2006 Winter League Finals MVP

[ Source: Wikipedia ]