2015 Annual WNBA GM Survey 

• Tamika Catchings received the honor for toughest player for the third straight year, with 33 percent of the vote.
• Briann January was voted best on-ball defender, and tied for first for best perimeter defender.
• The Fever will play in league’s first ESPN2 telecast of the season June 14, hosting Chicago.

Photo Gallery: Fever Players Honored >>

The WNBA released its 13th annual GM Survey Thursday, and the Indiana Fever, both as a team and through several different players, were well-represented. For the third straight year, Tamika Catchings was voted as the league’s toughest player. Four of the league’s 12 General Managers (33 percent) gave the 13-year-pro their vote. She also received four votes for being the player that is best at making her teammates better, for which she tied with Lindsay Whalen of the Minnesota Lynx.

Catchings was present on several other lists throughout the survey, including Defensive Player of the Year, receiving 8 percent of the vote, tying her for third with four other players, including teammate Briann January; best perimeter defender, receiving 17 percent of the vote, tied for first with three other players, once again including January; best interior defender, receiving 8 percent of the vote, tied for second with three other players; best on-the-ball defender, 25 percent of the vote, second to January.

To recap the honors given to January, she was named the best on-the-ball defender, receiving 33 percent of the vote. Additionally, she tied for third receiving 8 percent of the vote for Defensive Player of the Year; and tied for first, receiving 17 percent of the vote, for best perimeter defender.

Erlana Larkins showed up on two occasions, as she tied for second with six other players receiving 8 percent of the vote for the title of most underrated player in the WNBA; she also tied for third with four other players receiving 8 percent of the vote from WNBA GMs ranking the best rebounders in the league.

The Fever as a team/organization was featured on four lists as well, garnering 50 percent of the vote to take the title of best defensive team in the league. Indiana–under the direction of first-year head coach Stephanie White–received 8 percent of votes, tying for second with three other teams, predicting who would win the WNBA Finals, and 17 percent of votes to win the Eastern Conference. In addition, the Fever tied for third with two other teams receiving 8 percent of the vote for the league’s best home-court advantage.

WNBA Tip-Off 2015 presented by Boost Mobile will feature 24 games from June 5 through Sunday, June 14, culminating with the launch of ESPN2’s season-long coverage of the WNBA. ESPN2 will debut its schedule of games June 14 with a doubleheader showcasing the league champions from the past three seasons and a multitude of MVPs and All-Stars. The first telecast features Tamika Catchings, the 2011 MVP presented by Samsung, and the Indiana Fever hosting All-Star Elena Delle Donne and the defending Eastern Conference champion Chicago Sky at 1 p.m. ET. Buy Tickets Now >>

The late game features a rematch of the 2014 Western Conference Finals as the Mercury host Moore and the Lynx at 3 p.m. ET.