Tamika Catchings, former Stevenson star, earns Hall of Fame nod

Posted April 04, 2020 1:00 am

John Radtke

ASSOCIATED PRESSTamika Catchings, who played her first two years of high school basketball at Stevenson High School, is a part of the Class of 2020 to be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in August.

Tamika Catchings, who led Stevenson's girls basketball team to the 1995 Class AA IHSA state championship, was one of nine honorees announced on Saturday as the Class of 2020 set to be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Catchings is a 10-time WNBA All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist. After winning WNBA MVP in 2011, she led the Indiana Fever to a WNBA championship in 2012 while collecting WNBA Finals MVP honors. She played her entire 14-year WNBA career with the Fever and was named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year five times. She was also Rookie of the Year in 2002 and is the league's all-time steals leader.

She played collegiately for pat Summitt at Tennessee, helping the Vols to a national championship in 1998. She was the consensus National Player of the Year in 2000.

She scored 2,113 career points at Tennessee, averaging 16.6 points per game in her 127 games with the Vols, a figure she maintained throughout her WNBA career.

After graduating from Tennessee, Catchings was the third overall draft pick in 2001 by the Indiana Fever, where she spent her entire 14-year WNBA career.

Born in New Jersey, Catchings, whose father is 11-time NBA All-Star Harvey Catchings, Tamika Catchings played at Stevenson for two years before moving to Duncanville, Texas after her sophomore year with her mother. With her sister Tauja leading the way, Stevenson went on to win the 1996 state title, beating Elgin in the championship game.

Tamika Catchings is currently the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Fever.

The Class of 2020 also includes 18-time NBA All-Star and five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, 15-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA Finals MVP Tim Duncan, 15-time NBA All-Star and nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection Kevin Garnett, four-time National Coach of the Year Eddie Sutton, two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, three-time NCAA National championship coach of Baylor Kim Mulkey, five-time Division II National Coach of the Year Barbara Stevens and longtime FIBA executive Patrick Baumann.

The Class of 2020 enshrinement festivities are scheduled to be held in Springfield, Mass., the weekend of August 28.

ASSOCIATED PRESSFour-time Olympic champion Tamika Catchings, who played her first two years of high school basketball at Stevenson High School, is a part of the Class of 2020 to be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in August.

Tamika Catchings

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