Name	Tamika Catchings
Height	6'1
Naionality	American
Date of Birth	July 21, 1979
Place of Birth	Stratford, New Jersey
Famous for

Tamika Devonne Catchings is an American Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player who plays for the Indiana Fever. She is a prolific scorer close to and far from the basket, as well as a capable rebounder, ball handler and defender. After playing at Adlai E. Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire, IL) and graduating from Duncanville High School, Tamika Catchings became one of the stars of the University of Tennessee women's basketball team, being the top scorer and blocker in championship winning seasons for her team. In 2001, she was drafted by the Indiana Fever. After sitting out her rookie year due to injury, she had an all-star rookie season in 2002.

An All-American with the Tennessee Lady Volunteers for 1997-2001, Catchings was drafted by the Indiana Fever in 2001. Unable to play her rookie season, she had an outstanding year in 2002 and was named WNBA Rookie of the Year for that year. In the 2003 season, she led the Indiana Fever in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Catchings played for the USA Women's Basketball Team at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, 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. In 2005, Catchings was also named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year .

In 2006, she was voted in to the 2006 WNBA All-Star Game, and was also the leading vote-getter, but had to sit out because of a knee injury.


Catchings is the daughter of former NBA player Harvey Catchings. She majored in Sports Management at the University of Tennessee.

Catchings helped Adlai E. Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire, IL) to Illinois' IHSA Div. AA State Championships in her Freshman and Sophomore years in 1995 and 1996, before moving to Texas. 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.

In 2006 she also played in the South Korean league where she recieved MVP player awards in the championship winning side. She also played for Spartak in Russia in 2006 where her team won the Euro League,

Tamika Catchings once said in a WNBA video that she was told by her mother something she accepted stand tall, be 6 foot 5 not 6 foot 3. Although she is actually 6 foot 1.

She teaches children basketball at basketball camps she holds