2023-24 Season: Week 17, BHM Player Spotlght on Tamika Catchings

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Greetings my peeps and welcome to the All Things Basketball Podcast with your boy GD.

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In this episode I'll be doing my player spotlight on Tamika Katchins, one of the best two way

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players I've seen amongst the lady ballers.

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We'll talk about her, all her exploits and so forth.

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So just sit back guys and relax and enjoy the show.

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Okay guys this is your boy GD back with the All Things Basketball with GD Podcast and

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guys as promised I have another player spotlight I like to do.

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This one is near and dear to me.

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This player I've been following her career for quite a while.

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Two way player one of the best to ever do it and a phenomenal talent.

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For her to reach the goals that she reached given those barricades if you will is a testament

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to her hard work and her dedication to the game of basketball.

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And I am talking about Tamika Katchins guys.

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She's born Tamika Devon Katchins.

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She was born July 21st, 1979 and she was born in Stratford, New Jersey.

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That's like South Jersey and Camden County so you're talking about near Pennsylvania

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in that area there.

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She's a forward, 6-1.

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She was born to parents Wanda and Harvey Katchins.

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Harvey Katchins, a former NBA player.

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He played 11 years in the league.

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He played during the 1970s and early 80s.

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Played 11 years.

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He played with teams like the Philadelphia 76ers.

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Also the New Jersey Nets when they were in Jersey.

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The Milwaukee Bucks.

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He spent a great deal of time with the Bucks and then with the LA Clippers as well.

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Tamika was born with a hearing impairment.

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She also ended up developing a speech impediment as well.

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This was discovered when she was about 3 years old.

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So at an early age Tamika had to learn to read lips.

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Why?

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Because she was wearing the hearing aids but one day after school this was like in the

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second grade after being teased about her having to wear the hearing aids.

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On her way home she threw them in a field and left them there.

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Her parents went to go and find them.

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They couldn't find them.

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So they said look getting those hearing devices that was a bit of an undertaking.

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So what you're going to have to do from here on out is read lips.

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Which she ended up doing.

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So at the age of 6 her family moved to Garezia and that's a small city in Italy where her

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dad Harvey would continue his basketball career.

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While she was out in Italy they would meet another basketball family and the father of

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that family Joe Jellybean Bryant who also played overseas in Italy.

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And it was there where she met an 8 year old Kobe Bryant and they forged a friendship that

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would last well after their eventual return to the states.

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It was during that time overseas where Tamika would develop a love for basketball and upon

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coming back to the US from Italy for her it was a major adjustment because overseas she

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didn't get teased as much and if she did she didn't quite understand the language if that

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was the case.

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But once she got back to the states she would get teased by her classmates and so forth.

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So for Tamika her safe haven was being around family and of course being on the basketball

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court.

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Her goals were her places where she felt safe.

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She would end up attending Adelaide East Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire Illinois and she

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attended there between 1993 and 1995.

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She played with her sister Taja.

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While playing there the team won two state championships.

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Tamika already making a difference on her basketball team.

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She became the first undergraduate Miss Illinois basketball at the age of 15.

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She was also a two time all-american while she was at the Illinois High School.

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She would then transfer from that high school to Duncanville High School in Texas and while

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she was at this high school not only she played basketball.

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She also played volleyball and actually helped that volleyball team win a state championship.

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And then also while playing on the basketball team they won a state championship there as

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well.

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And she was named Texas Miss basketball and also Naismith National Prep Player of the

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Year in 1997.

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She also in 1997 she is the first player to ever record a quintuple double.

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Of course we've heard of triple doubles.

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We heard of quadruple doubles.

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She had the rare quintuple doubles in basketball history.

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Male or female.

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In that game she had 25 points 18 rebounds 17 assists 10 steals and 10 blocks.

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Wow.

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That's what Tamika did while at Duncanville High School in Texas.

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She first learned of Coach Pat's Summit in the University of Tennessee when she was in

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the eighth grade.

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While watching TV she became focused on a lady with blue eyes and that steely look.

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Of course we're talking about Pat's Summit.

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And what she saw in Pat's Summit was passion.

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She saw determination.

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From that moment there her ultimate goal was to one day wear the orange and white for the

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Tennessee Lady Vols.

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And then after a recruit visit from Coach Summit who heard about Tamika and her exploits on

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the basketball court.

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Coach Summit and her assistant Mickey DeMoss came and visited the catchings and they knew

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upon leaving that visit that they had to have Tamika attend the University of Tennessee.

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And this visit happened during her sophomore year actually when she was at Illinois.

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So for Tamika it came now to four schools.

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University of Tennessee USC Arkansas and Illinois.

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But in the end she went where she always had her eyes focused on and that was the University

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of Tennessee.

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So she goes there and had a freshman year for the ages guys.

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As she was a major contributor on that championship team in 1998 that team that went undefeated

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at 39 and 0.

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And during that season Tamika catchings over 18 points per game.

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Eight rebounds about two and a half assists roughly over two and a half steals and over

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a block and a half per game for her.

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And she would form what would be called the three meeks.

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It would be herself.

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Shamika Hoseclaw who was already there tearing it up for the University of Tennessee and

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fellow freshman Samika Randall.

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And during her freshman year Tamika set a record the most points by a University of

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Tennessee freshman.

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So also she was part of a big recruiting class for Coach Summit.

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It was the four freshmen.

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It was herself.

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Samika Randall.

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Kristen Ace Clement and Teresa Jeter.

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And the floor general for that team was Kelly Jolly who we now know as Kelly Harper who's

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the current coach at the University of Tennessee.

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And that season the path to the championship went like this.

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They beat Liberty University, Western Kentucky.

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They beat Rutgers coached by the great C Vivian Stringer.

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The University of North Carolina Arkansas.

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Oh, oddly enough she wanted to go play for them.

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They beat Arkansas actually in the final four.

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And then in the title game they beat Louisiana Tech.

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And the final score of that game was 93 to 75.

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And that team was coached by the great Leon Barmore.

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And then that title game Tamika showed out guys.

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Her 27 points led the team.

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She had seven rebounds for steals and two assists.

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So Tamika already starting off with a bang guys.

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Let us move to the sophomore year.

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In that year she averaged 16.6 points per game, 7.3 rebounds, nearly three assists and

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over two steals and a half for her.

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And then that year she set a UT record for most points by a sophomore with 38 points

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that she had against Florida in 1999, February 26th to be exact.

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But that team went 31 and 3.

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They ended up losing to Duke in the East Regional Finals there.

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So they made it to the lead eight but fell to Duke.

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So they were just one win shy of making the final four guys.

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Then came her junior year.

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The team finished 33 and 4.

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Her numbers 15.7 points per game.

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Nearly eight rebounds.

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2.7 assists and two steals and a half.

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And in that season they would make it all the way to the finals again.

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And along the way they beat Furman University, University of Arizona, University of Virginia,

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Texas Tech they beat as well.

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And the final four they beat Rutgers.

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But they lost.

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They lost in the finals to the University of Connecticut.

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Coached by the great Geno Ariyama and they lost that game 71 to 52.

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And that team had the likes of Swing Cash.

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They had Sue Bird on that team.

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Setlani, Aubrin Samova.

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Also Asia Jones was on that team.

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And their most outstanding player in the tournament, Shea Ralph, who now is a coach at Vanderbilt.

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Her junior year they reached the pinnacle but they lose to Yukon in the final.

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Then came her senior year.

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The team made it all the way to 16-1 before Tamika would go down with a torn ACL in a

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home game versus the University of Georgia.

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Devastating blow for her.

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That season she averaged over 15 points per game.

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Nearly nine rebounds, nearly three assists, 1.8 steals so you might as well say nearly

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two steals per game and over a block per game.

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So Tamika's season ends in devastation.

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Her senior year going down with the torn ACL.

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She would go on and oh by the way that game took place on Martin Luther King's birthday

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on January 18th, 2001.

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Tamika would end up graduating, she graduated getting her degree in sports management and

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she would come back later and get her masters as well.

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Coming out of the 2000 and one season she would then enter the draft for the WNBA while

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still recovering from her knee injury.

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She ended up being picked third in that draft.

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The players that went above her was Seattle at the number one pick taking Lauren Jackson

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coming out of Australia and then the second pick for the Charlotte Sting franchise that

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is no longer in play and they chose Kelly Miller of the University of Georgia.

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In fact one of the Miller twins.

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So Tamika ended up sitting out to 2001 season while rehabbing her knee so she ends up playing

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the following season and in that following season being her rookie season she would start

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her WNBA career off with a bang guys.

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The average 18.6 points per game, 8.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, nearly 3 steals per game and

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well over a block per game for her.

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She would make the all-star team as a rookie, she would be named first team all WNBA, she

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was second in defensive player of the year votes and third in MVP votes.

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That's coming out of her rookie season guys and the team itself, the prior season they

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finished 10-22 with Tamika they finished with a 500 record 16-16.

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That team was coached by Nell Fortner and they did make the playoffs that season with

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the 500 record but they lost to the New York Liberty two games to one.

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So guys we fast forward to her fourth season in the WNBA and that would be 2005 where she

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would win the first of her five defensive player of the year awards and the team would

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have its best record so far in her career at 21 and 13 and they were now coached by

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Brian Winters.

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Brian Winters a former NBA player, longtime walkie buck so he would coach this team.

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Now this team in the playoffs, well let me just give you her numbers for the season.

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14.7 points per game, nearly 8 rebounds and over 4 assists and well over 2.5 steals per

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game for her.

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That team would beat the New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference semis, two games

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to none but they lost to the Connecticut Sun in the Eastern Conference finals, two games

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to none.

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And then we fast forward to 2009 where she would make her first appearance in the WNBA

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finals.

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Her team that year finished 22-12 and also that year, here's what she averaged, over

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15 points per game, over 7 rebounds, over 3 assists, nearly 3 steals per game and she

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was an all-star in that fourth season, ended up getting defensive player of the year.

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So in getting to that point they beat the Washington Mystics two games to none and then

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they followed that by beating the Detroit Shock two games to one before losing in the

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finals to the Phoenix Mercury in a grueling five game series which the Mercury took three

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games to two.

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On that Mercury team was of course Diana Terasi, she was on the squad, Penny Taylor, Cappy

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Pond Dexter was on that team and a rookie named DeWanna Bonner who we now see with the

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Connecticut Sun.

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It was under Lynn Dunn by the way and this was her second season with Katie Douglas.

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They acquired Katie Douglas from the Connecticut Sun guys.

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We fast forward now to her 2011 season where she wins the League MVP.

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Her numbers, 15.5 points per game, over 7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2 steals.

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The all-star appearance for her and the team finished 21 and 13 and in the playoffs they

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beat the New York Liberty two games to one but lost to the Atlanta Dream two games to

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one.

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Then came the summer of 2011 and during that summer is when she got the news about her former

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coach Pat Summit that she was diagnosed with early onset dementia.

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So Tamika being devoted to her former coach she decided to dedicate the 2012 season to

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Pat Summit and that season would be where she would reach the ultimate guys.

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The team finished 22 and 12, they were second in the east.

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Her numbers for that season, 17.4 points per game, 7.6 rebounds, over 3 assists, over 2

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steals and another defensive player of the year for her.

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Oh by the way that season she did not make the all-star team, oddly enough.

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But that team would enter the playoffs, they would beat the Atlanta Dream thus writing

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a wrong from the previous season, two games to one, they beat the Connecticut Sun, two

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games to one and then they entered the finals against the Minnesota Lynx.

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Minnesota Lynx who were coached by Cheryl Reeve who was still the coach of that team

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till this day and that team had on it the likes of Maya Moore, someone I did a player

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spotlight on a year ago.

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Also on that team you had Lindsay Whalen and Simone Augustus.

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The Indiana Fever would start that series, well the first three games were without Katie

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Douglas who actually got injured in the series against the Connecticut Sun.

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It was an ankle injury so she missed the first three games but that did not deter this Indiana

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Fever team.

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We had people step up like Aaron Phillips, also Chavante Salas and Breanne January and

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of course Tamika Kachings herself playing outstanding basketball.

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And in that game four Tamika would score 25 points, eight assists, four rebounds and three

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blocked shots to secure the win over the Minnesota Lynx and thus winning the WNBA championship.

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So Tamika rising above it all to win this championship, good for her.

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And then she would reach the finals one more time and this would be three seasons later

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in 2015 and this time with a new coach who was an assistant coach under Lynn Dunn who

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won them the championship in 2012 and that's Stephanie White.

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Stephanie White who now is the Connecticut Sun's coach but she coached Indiana and in

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her first season they reached the WNBA finals.

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Along the way they beat Chicago, New York Liberty only to lose in a rematch to the Minnesota

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Lynx.

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This time they added a major piece Sylvia Fowles and they end up winning that series

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and a grueling one again three games to two.

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That season actually the Indiana Fever finished 2014, they were fourth in the east yet they

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were able to make it to the WNBA finals.

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For that season Tamika averaged over 13 points per game, over seven rebounds, over two assists

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and nearly two steals per game and then that season of 2015 would be her last all-star appearance.

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Also in that season she was all defense second team and all WNBA second team.

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So she reached the finals in that season then the next season would be her last 2016.

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The team finished 17-17 kind of way her career started with the 500 record it ends that way.

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Third in the east and they would lose in the first round it was a single game elimination

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at that time and they lost to the Phoenix Mercury.

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Tamika for that season finished 12.7 points per game nearly five rebounds nearly two assists

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and nearly two steals for her.

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So that is her WNBA career guys.

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Let us move on to her overseas play.

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Overseas she wasn't thrilled about going overseas but she did it anyhow she didn't want to do

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it until her torn ACL was right so she started playing overseas in 2003 guys.

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She started playing first for South Korea and then she would play for Russia for two

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seasons 2005-2006 then she would go back to South Korea to play for two seasons 2006-2007

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and then she would play for Poland 2008-2009 and for Turkey three seasons there 2009 through

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2011 with one year playing with her Indiana Fever teammate Katie Douglas.

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Now to her international exploits as far as playing for her country.

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She began playing for the USA at the age of 17 years old in the Junior World Championships

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in Mexico.

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That team would win a silver medal then she came back in 1997 to play in the Fever Junior

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World Championship.

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That was in Brazil and they ended up winning the gold against Australia and on that team

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Tamika was second in scoring and first in rebounds.

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Then also she would represent her country as a Junior once again 1998 at the Williams

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Jones Cup Championship in Taiwan and also one gold.

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So Tamika Catchings getting her bearings as far as playing with the USA type of squad.

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The 2004 Olympics in Athens.

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The coach of that team was Van Chancellor long time with the Houston comments and that

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team would end up getting gold they beat Australia guys and that Australia team had

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the likes of Lauren Jackson on there Penny Taylor and Sandy Brondella who we now know

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turned out to be a coach in the WNBA coaching the likes of the Phoenix Mercury and as of

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today the New York Liberty.

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One that team that she played with was Dawn Staley who she still holds in high regard

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as a mentor of hers.

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Also Lisa Leslie Cheryl Swoops Tina Thompson Katie Smith Yolanda Griffith Shannon Johnson

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Sue Bird Diana Terrasi Roof Raleigh and Swing Cash and it is overseas there where Tamika

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and Swing Cash develop a very tight bond that still stands till this day.

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Also while playing for Team USA she would go on to win gold at the Beijing Olympics

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in 2008 that team was coached by Anne Donovan and then for the London Olympics they were

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going on to beat France to get the gold that team was coached by Geno Ariyama and then

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in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 again Geno Ariyama coached that group and they defeated Spain

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to get the gold.

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She also played in the World Championships winning gold in China in 2002 which is her

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real taste of international play and Czechoslovakia in 2010.

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She would get bronze though in 2006 in Brazil so Tamika well decorated as a player for Team

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USA.

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Now let's talk about her outside of the court guys.

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She initiated her catch the stars foundation and that foundation was started in 2004 and

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it's benefiting underprivileged kids to succeed in academics and sports in Indianapolis which

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is where she played and as of this date guys it has benefited over 15,000 kids definitely

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kudos to her for that.

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Also she was a strong voice advocating against gun violence and police brutality.

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She also kneeled along with her teammates in solidarity of Colin Kaepernick.

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Also she joined Carmelo Anthony in LA for a town hall meeting discussing violence by

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and against police officers and this was in 2016.

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She did catchings using her voice for change using her voice for the common good of humanity.

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Upon her retirement she did do analyst work for the SEC network and this was in 2017 and

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for the SEC ESPN as well.

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She purchased the tea shop guys called Tees Me Cafe in hopes that it will grow much like

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Starbucks as being strictly for tea drinkers.

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She has now expanded to three locations in Indianapolis so Tamika also the entrepreneur

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here.

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She worked as a director of player programs and franchise development for the Indiana

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Pacers, the Indiana Fever and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

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She was part of a developmental committee for USA basketball as well.

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She once served as a vice president of basketball operations and GM with the Indiana Fever.

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She got the job in 2019 and kept it until 2022.

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She was recently named to coach one of the teams at the rising stars tournament in Indy

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and that was just this month in fact.

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She also has given to causes that helps those with hearing impairments one of which is at

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her alma mater University of Tennessee so she has given to much causes in that regard.

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She does speaking engagements as well at schools, corporations, etc.

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00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:16,200
And she was one of the keynote speakers at the celebration of life ceremony for her late

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coach Pat Summit as well.

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So with that said guys, let me run through her accolades right quick.

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While in high school, I mentioned the three state championships that she won two of which

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with Illinois, one with Texas.

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While at the University of Tennessee, her record guys and games that she played.

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00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:49,800
One 19 and eight guys so of the 127 games she played and she only lost eight games guys.

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00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:50,960
Wow.

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She made it to the NCAA finals twice, winning once the undefeated team in 1998 and then losing

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00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:05,680
to the Yukon team in 2000 and she made a lead eight as well.

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Her career average 16.6 points per game, nearly eight rebounds, 2.7 assists, nearly two and

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00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:20,040
a half steals and overall block per game for her.

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00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:25,920
1998 season, which was her freshman season, she would win SEC freshman of the year as

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well as the United States basketball writers association freshman of the year as well.

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In the year 2000, she would be named Naismith College Player of the Year.

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Should be also be named to the SEC Community Service team.

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00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:51,160
While she did community service, actually serving at the Women's College Hall of Fame.

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She did intern work there.

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00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:59,680
Also in 2000, the WBCA Player of the Year.

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That's for women basketball coaches association.

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Also the USBWA, which is the basketball writers association.

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She won women's national player of the year.

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In 2001, she won the college women's basketball player of the year via the Espeys.

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00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:28,080
She was a four time all American guys, three times all SEC, twice first team and two times

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00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:30,400
all SEC tournament.

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00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:37,640
She finished her career fourth in all time scoring guys, fourth in career free throws

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00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:46,280
made as well as field goals made third in career steals, eighth in blocks, sixth in career

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00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:48,200
double doubles.

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She is a member of the University of Tennessee Alliance of Women Philanthropists.

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Her number 24 jersey retired by the university. Also she was inducted into the University

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00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:07,160
of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.

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00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:14,080
The WNBA guys, she played in 458 games.

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She started in 448 games.

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So she started in all but 10 games guys.

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00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:30,480
She played for 15 years over 16 points per game, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and nearly

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two and a half steals per game.

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00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:37,040
She won a rookie of the year, league MVP.

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She was a world champion.

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She was also a finals MVP.

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10 times all star, 12 times all defense, 10 times she was first team, 12 times all MVP

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A, 8 times first team, 5 defensive player of the year awards.

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She led the league in steals 8 times guys.

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She is upon her retirement number one in career steals.

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She was second in career points and career rebounds upon her retirement.

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Oh also she is a three time Kim Perot Sportsmanship award winner.

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00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:24,640
She won an ESPN Humanitarian award in 2015.

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As far as playoffs guys, upon her retirement she was number one in points, rebounds and

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00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:32,480
steals.

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Of her 15 years she played in 13 playoffs, 12 straight at one time.

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She made 8 conference finals.

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In those 8 she made 5 straight.

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Her number 24 jersey retired in 2017.

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00:33:50,760 --> 00:34:01,040
She was named to the WMBA's top 10 list, top 15 list, top 20 list and most recently in

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00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,540
2021.

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She was named to the top 25 players of all time as well.

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00:34:08,720 --> 00:34:18,280
For C's she won a Polish National League Championship in 2009 and 2 times she won a Turkish Cup

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00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:22,840
Championship in 2010 and 2011.

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00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:33,720
In the Olympics guys her record while playing with Team USA starting in 2002, 58 and 1 guys.

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00:34:33,720 --> 00:34:42,600
For Olympic gold medals the only players with more than her 4 would be Sue Bird and Diana

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00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:46,640
Tarrasi who recently won their 5th.

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00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:53,600
She has 2 world championship gold medals and 1 world championship bronze.

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00:34:53,600 --> 00:35:00,080
Guys she was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2020.

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Also in that class her buddy who she first met in Italy, the late Kobe Bryant as well

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00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:10,340
was in that class of 2020.

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She also was inducted into the WMBA's BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME in 2021 and in the NFHS national

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high school hall of fame and that happened just last year.

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00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:33,360
So guys that is the resume of Tamika Catchings.

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A player who dealt with a married foot injury also guys but that didn't deter her and stop

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00:35:43,720 --> 00:35:45,440
her any.

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00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:51,840
I mentioned at the beginning her having the hearing impairment and speech impediment that

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did not stop her at all.

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She was determined, she was focused on achieving her goals, that being in the field of basketball.

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She did that and then some guys.

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So guys we salute Tamika Catchings.

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We salute you for all you've done for the game of basketball, how you persevered and

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00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:17,920
how you was just a straight dog.

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00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:20,760
And that's DAWG.

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00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:26,080
Guys one of the best two way players I ever seen play on the court.

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00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:28,400
That's not high purpley guys.

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00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:30,800
She was that good guys.

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00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:36,600
And for her to bring that championship to the state of Indiana, Indiana which is known

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00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:43,240
as being one of the hotbeds of basketball, for her to do that and accomplish that is

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00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:49,040
just a feat to be admired and to be in awe of.

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00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:56,040
So Tamika Catchings we salute you all the best to you and all that you do going forward

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00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:58,760
and we just stand in awe of you.

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So much appreciated.

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00:37:00,640 --> 00:37:03,240
Alright guys so that is it for me.

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00:37:03,240 --> 00:37:06,640
I'm going to try and squeeze out one more of these.

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00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:09,440
It might spill into March we'll see what happens.

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00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:12,000
But that's it in the nutshell guys.

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00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,800
As always I thank you for listening.

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00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:20,960
All Things Basketball with GD.com that's the website, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, all the

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00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:25,760
platforms I'm there, leave reviews, like videos, all that good stuff.

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00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:29,480
Alright guys with that said, thank you for listening.

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00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:30,480
We'll talk soon.

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00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:31,480
Take care.

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00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:35,200
Hello my peeps.

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00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:40,160
Thank you for listening and supporting the All Things Basketball with GD Podcasts.

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00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:45,040
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You can also email us at that sportsduegd at gmail.com.

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00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:30,600
Once again I thank you for listening and supporting the show.

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