Position: Forward Height: 6'2" / 188 cms. Weight: 162 lbs. / 74 kgs.. WNBA Team: Indiana Fever School: University of Tennessee '01 NOTE: As of October 14, 2009 Printable (PDF) bio USA Basketball Notes: Gold Medals: 2004 & 2008 Olympics, 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament, 2002 FIBA World Championship, 2002 Opals World Challenge, 1998 R. William Jones Cup, 1997 FIBA Junior World Championship. Silver Medal: 1997 COPABA Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament. Bronze Medal: 2006 FIBA World Championship. Named to the 2009-12 USA Basketball Women’s National Team on Aug. 17, 2009. Member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that captured the USA’s fourth consecutive gold medal with a perfect 8-0 record; averaged 6.8 ppg., 4.4 rpg., a team-high (tie) 1.8 spg. and added 1.8 apg. Aided the USA National Team to the 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball gold medal and a 3-0 slate prior to the Olympics against Latvia and eventual Olympic bronze and silver medalists Russia and Australia, respectively; saw limited playing time and sat out the gold medal game while continuing to rehab her Achilles injury. Aided the 2007-08 USA Basketball National Team to a 4-0 slate during its 2007 Tour of Italy, averaged team highs of 12.8 ppg. and 9.0 rpg. Named to the 2007-08 USA Basketball Women’s National Team on March 6, 2007. Member of the 2006 USA World Championship Team that posted an 8-1 record and took home the bronze medal; started all nine games and averaged 7.0 ppg. and team-highs of 6.9 rpg. and 2.0 spg. in just over 21 minutes a game. Aided the U.S. to a 56-49 exhibition victory over Australia, had four points, two rebounds and three steals. As a member of the 2004 U.S. Women’s Olympic Team, supplied 6.9 ppg. and 5.4 rpg. to go with a team-high 2.8 spg. en route to the gold medal and an 8-0 mark. In the USA's trio of pre-Olympic exhbition games, averaged 7.3 ppg. and 6.7 rpg. Provided a strong spark off the bench during the USA's 13-0 spring training run over teams in Cuba, Europe and the United States; averaged 9.5 ppg. and 5.5 rpg. overall, while starting four contests. Her best outing was against Japan, when she tallied 17 points and 11 rebounds on April 12. Averaged a USA third-best 10.0 ppg. en route to helping the U.S. to the gold medal and a 9-0 slate at the 2002 FIBA World Championship. Member of the 1998 R. William Jones Cup Team that posted a 5-0 record in Taipei, Taiwan, started all five games and averaged a team fourth best 6.4 ppg., a team third best 3.8 rpg. and added a team high seven blocks. Member of the 1997 USA Basketball Junior World Championship (U19) Team that won the gold medal with a 6-1 record in Natal, Brazil; averaged a team second-best 13.2 ppg., 3.2 spg. and a team-high 7.2 rpg. Is the first American woman to claim gold at both the junior and senior level World Championships. Member of the 1996 USA Junior World Championship Qualifying (U18) Team that captured the silver medal with a 4-1 record in Chetumal, Mexico. Professional Notes WNBA Drafted: No. 3 in 2001 by the Indiana Fever. All-WNBA first team: 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009 All-WNBA second team: 2004, 2005, 2007 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year: 2005, 2006, 2009 WNBA All-Defensive first team: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 WNBA Rookie of the Year: 2002 WNBA All-Star Games: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 (injured), 2007, 2009 WNBA All-Decade Team Averaged 15.1 ppg., 7.2 rpg., 3.1 apg. and a league-leading 2.9 spg. to help the Fever to a 22-12 reguar season record; averaged 17.2 ppg., 10.4 rpg., 5.4 apg., 3.3 spg. and 1.4 bpg. during the ‘09 playoffs in leading the Fever to the WNBA Finals. Returned to the court on June 15, 2008, and played in 25 games to help the Fever to a 17-17 mark and a playoff berth; averaged 13.3 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 3.3 apg. and 2.0 spg. Tore her Achilles tendon on Sept. 3, 2007, and underwent surgery on Sept. 5; averaged 15.8 ppg., 11.8 rpg. and 3.2 spg. through six playoff contests prior to her injury. Averaged 16.6 ppg., 9.0 rpg. and 4.7 apg. during the 2007 season to lead the Fever to a 21-13 record and into the Eastern Conference Finals. Aided the Fever in 2006 to a 21-1 slate and the Eastern Conference playoffs. The leading vote-getter for the 2006 WNBA All-Star Game. Received 43 of a possible 66 votes in the 2006 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year voting and 25 of a possible 28 votes for the All-Defensive first team. Sat out the 2001 WNBA season while recovering from a torn right ACL, which cut short her final season at Tennessee. She then suffered torn cartilage in the same knee during a practice on July 5, underwent surgery and missed the remainder of the season. Earned WNBA Player of the Week honors in her first week in the league. Received 48 out of a possible 60 WNBA Rookie of the Year votes in 2002 and finished as the second vote getter for WNBA Defensive Player of the Year after aiding the Fever to its best record and first playoff berth in franchise history. Finished as runner-up for the 2003 WNBA MVP award. International Korea League titles: 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007

College Notes

• During her four years at Tennessee, helped the Lady Vols to a 134-10 overall record for a 93.1 winning percentage as UT collected four Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular season crowns, three SEC Tournament titles, competed in four NCAA Tournaments, won the NCAA championship in 1998, advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 2000, and made Elite Eight (1999) and Sweet Sixteen (2001) appearances.
• The 2001 ESPY award winner as the College Women's Basketball Player of the Year and consensus National Player of the Year in 2000, named to the 1998 and 2000 NCAA All-Final Four teams, earned 2000 NCAA Midest Region Most Outstanding Player honors and was selected to the 1999 NCAA East and 2000 Mideast All-Regional teams.
• A four-time Kodak/WBCA All-America first team selection, was named the 1998 National Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
• A three-time All-SEC first team selection (1998, 1999, 2000), was named All-SEC second team in 2001, earned SEC All-Tournament Team honors in 1998, 1999 and 2000, was named 1998 SEC Newcomer of the Year by the A.P. and the SEC's 1998 Freshman of the Year.

Personal Notes

• Born July 21, 1979 in Stratford, New Jersey; finished high school in Duncanville, Texas; after spending her first two years of high school playing basketball with her sister, Tauja, in Lincolnshire, Illinois; and currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Daughter of Wanda and Harvey Catchings, has two brothers, Kenyon and Bryce and two sisters, Tauja and Chrystie.
• Her father competed 11 years in the NBA for the LA Clippers, Milwaukee, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. He then worked in the league office as Director, NBA Player Programs.
• Has career ambitions of being a general manager of a professional basketball team.
• Annually hosts ‘Catch The Stars,' a holiday basketball camp that in 2007 celebrated its seventh year. She is the lead instructor at the three-day camp, which features over 100 kids ages 9-14.
• Involved heavily in her community, was called upon by President Bush to attend his 2004 State of the Union speech as a representative of all 2004 Olympians and Olympic hopefuls.
• Honored by the WNBA for her work, Catchings has received numerous Off-Season WNBA Community Assist awards.
• In addition to hosting camps and clinics and raising money to enable disadvantaged youths to attend basketball camps, Catchings created the Catch the Stars Foundation in 2004. Taking advice from three-time Olympian Dawn Staley, the foundation is targeted towards at-risk youths and its goal is to provide both academic and athletics programs.
• Has some hearing loss and was honored during her junior season at UT with the Reynolds Society Achievement Award by the world-famous Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. The annual award is presented to an individual who has overcome hearing, vision or voice loss and who has distinguished themselves and provided inspiration to others.
• Collected numerous national accolades as a prep star, including the 1997 Boost/Naismith and Rawlings/WBCA National Prep Player of the Year awards. A four-time Parade Magazine All-American, she was also named to the 1997 USA Today Girls High School All-USA first team, as well as Texas Player of the Year by USA Today. In 1995 Catchings was named Illinois Miss Basketball as a sophomore, becoming the first underclassman in Illinois to receive the award.
• Most prized possession: my house.
• Favorite books: any of E. Lynn Harris’ or Eric Jerome Dickey’s books.
• Morning routine: wake up, brush teeth, take a shower, dress, check my email, eat breakfast and then call my sister, it calms me.
• Evening routine: I always do my Bible study and read My Daily Bread, followed by prayer.
• Traveling ritual: I always sleep on the bed closest to the door.
• Favorite takeout food: Outback Steakhouse: Ayres Rock strip steak medium well with sweet potatos and salad with ranch.
• Favorite meal to make at home: any type of chicken with potatoes, peas, corn, etc., and always with a salad.
• I drive: a Lexus GX 470.
• Most interesting place ever visited: The Vatican.
• My next big purchase will be: maybe another car.
• If I could trade in my car for anything it would be: I love my SUV, but if I had to trade it in I’d get a car of some sort. I’m a visual person, I have to actually see it first to want it.
• If I could be a standout athlete in any other sport it would be: volleyball.
• When I was five I wanted to be: a basketball player.
• If I could live in any city in the world it would be: where all my family could be. It has to be big enough to not live on top of each other, but small enough for family gatherings.
• Most read online newspaper: Indianapolis Star.
• Favorite magazines: Cosmo, Glamour, ESPN The Magazine, Oprah.
• Always in my fridge: juice, sweet tea and leftovers.
• Always on my fridge: pictures of my family.
• One piece of clothing I can’t live without: underwear.
• Favorite sport aside from basketball: volleyball, track & field.
• I can play: I once played the baritone.
• Favorite basketball player: Alonzo Mourning.
• Favorite non-basketball Olympian: Michael Phelps.
• Strangest place ever played hoops: Slovakia.
• Best player I ever faced: my sister Tauja because she knows everything about me.
• I want to go one-on-one against: Kobe Bryant because it would be fun.
• Favorite basketball announcer: Kara Lawson
• When not playing hoops: I am reading, writing, relaxing or playing Soduku.
• Favorite food: French fries.
• Most people don’t know: I’m a christian and I’m as low maintenance as it gets.
• I can’t live without: my family.
• My first overseas trip: was Italy. My dad played there and any time my family is around, it makes things fun.