Catchings Earns Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Nomination
Tamika Catchings has held a lot of titles in her 40 years on Earth.
Lady Vol forward. NCAA National Champion. Four-time All-American. Four-time NCAA player of the year. Four-time Olympic gold medalist.
Oh, and WNBA Draft Lottery pick, Rookie of the Year, Finals champion and Most Valuable Player, just to name a few more.
Now, following a 14-year pro career with the Indiana Fever, Catchings can officially add “Hall-of-Famer” to an already long list of accomplishments.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is electing the former Lady Vol as a member of its 2020 class.
She’ll be enshrined alongside the late Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Kim Mulkey, Barbara Stevens, Eddie Sutton, Rudy Tomjanovich and Patrick Baumann.
Catchings will also join her former coach Pat Summitt, who was enshrined in 2000. Like Summitt, though, Catchings has done more than just play basketball. The two are the only people associated with Lady Vols basketball to be inducted, according to Tennessee Athletics.
She’s also transcended the sport, and she’s done so as a proud member of the deaf community. This marks Catchings’ second Hall of Fame nomination this year, as she’s also set to be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, which is located in Knoxville, this year.
“The Class of 2020 is undoubtedly one of the most historic of all time and the talent and social influence of these nine honorees is beyond measure,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Doleva also stated that the Hall of Fame looks forward to the Enshrinement ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2020 in Springfield, Massachusetts- better known as “The Birthplace of Basketball.”
And what better location to honor so many basketball greats, including a Lady Vol who joined Summitt in changing the way the game is played?