NEW YORK — Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever is the recipient of the 2016 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award, the WNBA announced today. Catchings, who previously won the award in 2010 and 2013 (co-winner with Swin Cash), is the first three-time winner since the award’s inception in 1997.
The Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award is presented each season to a player who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, including ethical behavior, fair play, and integrity. The award is named for the late Kim Perrot, who helped guide the Houston Comets to their first two WNBA Championships before passing away in August 1999 after a seven-month battle with cancer.
Catchings, who just completed her 15th and final WNBA regular season, received 29 votes from a national panel of 39 sportswriters and broadcasters. Alysha Clark of the Seattle Storm, Chiney Ogwumike of the Connecticut Sun and Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream received two votes each. Jayne Appel-Marinelli of the San Antonio Stars, Swin Cash of the New York Liberty, and Lindsay Whalen of the Minnesota Lynx received one vote apiece.
Catchings, the recipient of the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award this season, started her WNBA career with the Fever as the No. 3 overall pick out of the University of Tennessee in the 2001 WNBA Draft. The 10-time All-Star spent her entire career with the Fever, where she won a WNBA Championship in 2012 and was named Finals MVP. Catchings recently surpassed Lisa Leslie as the WNBA all-time leader for rebounds with 3,316. She ranks first all-time in steals (1,074), second in points (7,380), sixth in assists (1,488) and 12th in blocks (385). Catchings is a five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award winner and was named WNBA MVP in 2011. She also captured Rookie of the Year honors in 2002.Catchings was recently named one of the WNBA Top 20@20 presented by Verizon honorees, which honors the 20 greatest and most influential players in its history. She was previously honored as an All-Decade member and a Top 15 player.
In honor of being named the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award winner, Catchings will receive $5,000 and a specially designed trophy from Tiffany & Co. The Fever will donate an additional $5,000 to the charity of her choice.
About the WNBA
The WNBA, which features 12 teams, is a unique global sports property combining competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment with its status as an icon for social change, achievement, and diversity. The league, which counts Verizon as its leaguewide marquee partner, concluded its 20th regular season on Sept. 18, 2016.
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