Tamika Catchings signed her name on the line of a WNBA contract for the final time of her career Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
“I am really excited about signing my contract with the Fever,” Catchings, who was drafted by the organization third overall in 2011, said in a release. “This organization has been behind me for my entire career and I’m thankful for the opportunity to close it out in the city that I have found as my home. It has been a blessing for me to gain so many friends, family, fans and love through my play both on and off the court.”
Catchings’ two-year deal is surely for the league maximum, as set by the Collective Bargaining Agreement: $109,500 in 2015, and $111,500 in 2016.
Catchings, who will begin her 15th season with the Indiana Fever franchise in May, announced last fall her intention to play two more seasons and retire following the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
It is her goal, after a push from Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi, to play in one more Olympics. Come away with Gold, as they should, and Catchings joins Teresa Edwards and Lisa Leslie as the only American basketball players with four Olympic Gold Medals.
Unlike most of her peers, Catchings, 35, has not played overseas the last few years. She’s focused on keeping her body in excellent condition, as well as her community initiatives through her Catch The Stars Foundation.
It’s impossible to put into words the person that she is and the contributions that she has made. First-year head coach Stephanie White tried.
“Tamika Catchings is the epitome of everything that is right in sports,” she said.
“She is the greatest competitor the game has seen. Her on-court numbers and accolades only tell part of the story. Tamika is an ambassador and mentor to our community with her generosity, her humility and her example. It doesn’t do justice to say she is the face of the franchise; she is the heart and soul of the Indiana Fever and the foundation for our core values. I am so fortunate to have been a part of her journey as a teammate, and now as a coach.”
The Fever open the 2015 season Friday, June 5 at Chicago. Their home-opener is the following day against Minnesota at 7:00 p.m.