Tamika Catchings, one of the most accomplished basketball players in history, celebrates her 44th birthday today.
Many remember Catchings spending her entire 15-year WNBA career with the Indiana Fever, where she won a championship in 2012 and was named Finals MVP.
She was also a 10-time All-WNBA First Team selection, a five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and a four-time Olympic gold medalist.
Catchings was born in Stratford, New Jersey, in 1979. She played college basketball at the University of Tennessee, where she was a four-time All-American and helped the Volunteers win the 1998 NCAA National Championship.
Catchings also played under legendary Coach Pat Summitt during her time at the University of Tennessee.
After college, Tamika Catchings was drafted by the Indiana Fever with the third overall pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft.
She quickly became one of the league’s best players, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 2002.
Catchings went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Fever. She was named to the All-WNBA First Team 10 times, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year five times and WNBA Finals MVP in 2012. She also won four Olympic gold medals with Team USA.
Catchings retired from the WNBA in 2016 and has since been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Tamika Catchings is an inspiration to young athletes everywhere. She is a role model for women’s empowerment, and she has shown that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.
Since her retirement, Catchings has been grounded in the Indianapolis community and economy. Her most popular endeavor since her retirement is a purchase she made in 2017.
Catchings purchased Tea’s Me Café, and the Indianapolis community cannot get enough of their tea, coffee and the cozy atmosphere the business provides.
On her 44th birthday, we celebrate Tamika Catchings’s incredible career and her impact on the game of basketball, especially Fever basketball.
Happy birthday, Tamika!
Contact multi-media staff writer Noral Parham III at (317)-762-7846 or via e-mail at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on Twitter @NoralParham.
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