2012 Media Guide - WNBA.com

SEVEN CONSECUTIVE WNBA PLAYOFF APPEARANCES
1999-00: She was a consensus All-American and received
numerous honors following her junior season, including the Naismith
National Player of the Year Award while guiding the Lady Vols to the
NCAA Championship game for the second time in her four college
seasons...she received an ESPY Award as the 2000 College Player of
the Year...she scored double figures 32 times and grabbed double-digit
rebounds 11 times while recording nine double-doubles...she led her
team in scoring (15.7), rebounding (7.9) and steals (2.5).
1998-99: She was named to the Kodak All-America Team for the
second time...she also was named to The Associated Press All-America
Team, as well as Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News and Women's
Basketball Journal All-America Teams...she was a member of the
SEC's All-Academic Team...starting all 34 games, she scored doublefigure
29 times and recorded eight double-doubles...she was second on
the team in scoring (16.6), rebounding (7.3) and assists (95)...she led
the team in steals (88)...she scored a career-high 38 points in 27
minutes against Florida in the SEC Tournament, just two points shy of
the SEC Tournament record.
1997-98: She joined Holdsclaw as the second member of the Lady
Vols to be honored as a Kodak All-American as a freshman...she
celebrated her first SEC title with spots on the All-Tournament, All-SEC
and All-Freshman Teams...she was selected as Freshman of the Year
by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, The Sporting News and the
SEC coaches...she was named to the All-Final Four Team, as her team
won the national championship...she scored double figures 36 times,
grabbed double-digit rebounds nine times and recorded nine doubledoubles...she
scored a school freshman record 711 points and tallied a
Tennessee freshman record 35 points against DePaul.
PERSONAL
Her nicknames are Mik, Mika or Catch...she earned a master’s
degree in sports studies at the University of Tennessee, completing
commencement exercises, 5/6/05...she attended Duncanville High
School in Duncanville, Texas...she considers her family as the only role
models she'll ever need...while in the seventh grade, she decided to
pursue a career in basketball...she is an avid poetry writer and lists her
favorite author as E. Lynn Harris...she wears No. 24 because her father,
Harvey, who played in the NBA, wore 42, her brother wore 21, which is
half of 42 and her sister Tauja (who played at the University of Illinois)
wore 12, which is opposite of 21 and half of 24...Tauja was a standout
college player at Illinois and was drafted in the Third round (#37 overall)
by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2000 WNBA Draft...if she could play
against any NBA player it would be Alonzo Mourning, because "I have
always admired him. He has definitely shown the heart and
#24 TAMIKA CATCHINGS
determination of a true champion”...within the past year, she was voted
a Top 5 Finalist for the United Nations NGO Positive Peace Award and
one of ten “Dream Team for Public Service” finalists for the Jefferson
Award for outstanding service by an athlete…she earned honorable
recognition in January 2004 when President George W. Bush extended
a personal invitation to the State of the Union Address at the U.S.
Capitol, where she spent the evening with Laura Bush and other
honored guests...she joined the Philadelphia Eagles’ Donovan McNabb
and the Atlanta Braves’ John Smoltz as finalists for the 2006 Wooden
Citizenship Cup which is presented annually to college and professional
athletes for exhibiting outstanding community service...in October 2007,
she was honored alongside former Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony
Dungy as a recipient of the Major Taylor Award, which annually
recognizes top African-American coaches, athletes and administrators
for outstanding community service…she was the 2008 female recipient
of the Rotary Club of Tulsa Henry P. Iba Citizen-Athlete Award…she
was the 2009 recipient of the Rev. Charles Williams Award, presented
annually to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves
through direct service to youth in the Indianapolis community…born
with a hearing disability, she wore a hearing aid as a young girl...in
2000, she was honored with the Reynolds Society Achievement Award
by the world-famous Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in
Boston...that annual award is given to an individual who has overcome
hearing, vision or voice loss and who has distinguished themselves and
provided inspiration to others...Catchings launched the Catch the Stars
Foundation, Inc. in 12/04 to assist disadvantaged youth in helping to
achieve their dreams...a public reception was held to unveil the
foundation at the NCAA Hall of Champions, 3/11/05...in February 2011,
the Foundation announced a partnership with the University of
Tennessee School of Education, Health and Human Services to assist
at-risk high school students in Knoxville, Tenn. … she conducts fitness
clinics and basketball camps at numerous locations nationally...fitness
clinics are conducted in November each year, with canned food items
being the only cost of admission...those canned food items are annually
donated to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, prior to
Thanksgiving...Catchings has also been an annual participant and
sponsor of the Indiana Pacers’ annual Thanksgiving dinner to feed the
area’s less fortunate...current programs for her foundation include a
college scholarship program for Indianapolis high school scholarathletes;
the Catch the Stars Youth Holiday Basketball Camp; Catch on
to Fitness Clinics; Catchings Corner (donated Fever game tickets) and
S.T.A.R.S. (Sisters Teaching and Reaching Sisters)...for more
information on the foundation, contact catchthestars24@aol.com or visit
the Web site www.catchin24.com.
The Catch The Stars Foundation began a collaborative partnership with the University of Tennessee in February 2011.
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