Tamika Catchings - The Hero
BASKETBALL - HALL OF FAMER - WNBA - INDIANA FEVER
ARCHETYPE: THE HERO
Day 113/135
Athletic Accomplishments
Tamika Catchings is a 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, and one of the best small forwards to ever play the game.
Growing up, Catchings was a basketball standout, a high school All-American, and the first player at any level to record a quintouple-double. She was Illinois’ Ms. Basketball her sophomore year, the youngest player to ever receive the award, before moving to Texas where she continued to dominate.
She earned a scholarship to the University of Tennessee, playing for the legendary Pat Summit. In her freshman year, Tennessee went undefeated, winning a national championship. Throughout her career at Tennessee, Catchings was a four time All-American and in 2000, she won pretty much everything: Naismith College Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year, USBWA Women's National Player of the Year, and WBCA Player of the Year.
She was drafted third overall in the 2001 WNBA Draft, heading to the Indiana Fever, where she would spend her entire 16-year playing career. She was the 2002 Rookie of the Year, and became known as Indiana’s “do everything forward,” who was not only a phenomenal scorer, but also a five-time Defensive Player of the Year and the all-time steals leader.
Over her career in Indiana, Catchings’ resume is beyond impressive:
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× WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012)
10× WNBA All-Defensive First Team (2005–2013, 2015)
8× WNBA steals leader (2002, 2005–2007, 2009–2010, 2013)
WNBA Rookie of the Year (2002)
She also won four Olympic and two World Championship gold medals. For her incredible playing career, Catchings was named to the WNBA Top 20@20 in 2016, as well as the All-Decade Team and Top 15 of all time.
Today, Catchings is still close to the game and essential to the Indiana Fever, serving as the team’s Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager. She’s also a game analyst for Women's Basketball Games on SEC Network, which is not only notable because her knowledge of the game is so airtight, but also because Catchings is hearing impaired and was fearful that her hearing or speech impediment might make her not good for the job. But once again, Catchings rises to every challenge. She’s just unstoppable.
Character Archetype: The Hero
You want your kids to be good at basketball and in life? Want them to be resilient? Want them to overcome odds and obstacles to be the best they can be, and one of the best of all time?
Your playbook is right here. Her name is Tamika Catchings. And maybe you didn’t watch her play because WNBA games in the aughts were hardly televised. But here’s what you missed:
10-time All-Star
Five time Defensive Player of the Year
2002 Rookie of the Year, 2011 MVP, and 2012 Champion
The Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2020 included Tamika Catchings, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan. In a beautiful full-circle twist, Catchings and her family were tight with Kobe Bryant and his family, spending seminal time together in Italy while their dads played in the Italian league.
After retirement, we all know Kobe Bryant went on to become a huge fan of the WNBA and an advocate of women’s hoops. You think maybe it’s because he grew up with one of the greatest of all time? You think maybe you learn to respect women athletes because you play WITH them and see how genuinely great they are? You think Kobe didn’t learn as much from Tamika as she learned from him?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I don’t know who got the misguided idea that boys can’t look up to women, in sports or in life. So, before you tell your kids to learn post moves like Tim Duncan, maybe crib a couple notes from fellow Hall of Fame inductee Tamika Catchings. You could really learn something.