We all have to do lists. Some for tomorrow, the next week or over time.
Indiana Fever superstar Tamika Catchings has so many accomplishments but a few items remain for her career. No. 1, obviously win the ultimate goal, a WNBA championship. No. 2, be named the league’s MVP.
All that's missing from Tamika's bio is a WNBA title and the MVP award.
There’s nobody that works harder or is a better role model than the 10-year veteran. She leads the team in almost every statistical category. The MVP is too much about offense and a player’s points per game. Instead it should be about impact and her meaning to the team. If that’s the case, Catchings would win the WNBA MVP each year by a landslide.
“I think sometimes she’s not given enough credit for all the different things she can do,” Coach Dunn said. “She gets assists, she gets steals, she gets rebounds, she scores and she defends like nobody else in the league. It’s unfortunate that so much emphasis is put on ‘Who’s the leading scorer?'”
Catchings is the face of the WNBA, earning the most All-Star votes again this year. Coaches, players, officials and fans all respect her game and they all understand her importance in bringing attention to the sport.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Fever since Catchings began playing in 2002. She’s always been the hardest working player and up until last year, was the first one on the court before the games. She cares a lot about the her team and the game that has given her so much.
And with that platform, she began her Catch the Stars Foundation in the spring of 2004 and it has evolved into something special over these years.
Tamika Catchings has led the Fever to the playoffs seven straight years. It was just two years ago, in 2009 when they lost in the final game at Phoenix in the teams’ only WNBA Finals appearance. This season she averaged 15.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, leading Indiana to the best record in the Eastern Conference.
“The potential that we have, the players that we have — we have all the pieces, it’s just a matter of putting it all together,” Catchings told media this week. “I’m really honored that a lot of people have gone to bat for me and want to see me win it. I want to focus on playing and doing what it takes to help this team win.”
Just about everyone around the league would stick up for Catchings who has helped the WNBA take off after just 15 years of existence. While sitting in front of their bench taking care of the visiting team, I enjoy listening to the compliments the opposing team has for Catchings. Even former Celtics great and current Pacers President Larry Bird spoke up for Catchings during a recent conference call, promoting her case to be named the league’s best.
“I’ve watched Tamika for a lot of years play basketball,” Bird said. “One thing I notice about her that you don’t find in many players — men or women — is she never gives up on a play. She’s always going after it, always trying to give her hands on the ball…She’s so consistent. People do take that for granted, but coaches love that. She’s what we call a gamer, and she wants to pull everybody else along with her. She’s a franchise-maker, the reason that the Indiana Fever has done really well over the course of time.”
The Fever host New York in the first round of the playoffs beginning tonight. All Indiana must do to win is stopping Cappie Pondexter. When Indiana loses to New York, it’s always because Pondexter hits the game winning shot or she goes off for 40 points. The Fever must contain Pondexter and not allow her to get in her element and they’ll be just fine.
Then it would be the winner of Connecticut and Atlanta which is a toss up. The Fever match up better against Connecticut and selfishly, that’s who I want to advance because their team and staff are a blast to work with.
The Indiana Fever have all the pieces necessary to win the franchise’s first title. The team’s motto is “Bring It Home,” and beginning tonight the Fever are on a quest to earn the WNBA’s ultimate prize.
And should Catchings win her first MVP along the way, it would be all the sweeter. A year of firsts for a team well-deserving of a championship.