Indiana Fever star Tamika Catchings made a statement in a TV interview recently that acknowledged her intention to retire following the 2016 WNBA season. The three-time Olympic gold medalist and perennial WNBA All-Star has in fact confirmed those intentions, intending to retire following the 2016 season.
Tamika Catchings: “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.”
Drafted in 2001 by the Fever, Catchings was the 2002 WNBA Rookie of the Year and after 14 active seasons, she is the league’s all-time leader in steals and free throws. She will enter the 2015 season as the WNBA’s third-leading scorer and fourth-leading rebounder. The league MVP in 2011, she was the WNBA Finals MVP in 2012. She has been named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year an unprecedented five times, and has twice been the recipient of the league’s Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award.
Catchings’ career has been synonymous with Indiana Fever success on the court. The Fever owns a share of a WNBA-record 10 consecutive playoff appearances, and has advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in seven of those 10 seasons. The Fever won the WNBA crown in 2012 and also reached the WNBA Finals in 2009. Catchings has played in every playoff game in franchise history, including its first appearance during her rookie season in 2002.
Fever President and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf added, “I know Tamika is relieved to get this announcement out; she has talked informally about wanting to play through the 2016 season as she continues to look at what is next in her extraordinary basketball career.
“I am proud that she will have played her entire career in an Indiana Fever uniform. Anyone who has not seen her play in person should do so in the next 24 months. She is a future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest overall players in the history of the women’s game. Her impact on and off the court is immeasurable.”
