— Fever Host Tamika Catchings’ Final Regular Season Game Presented by Hoosier Lottery on Sept. 18
— Fan Appreciation Night Presented by Sport Graphics Shifted to Sept. 16
INDIANAPOLIS – One of the greatest players in WNBA history, Tamika Catchings, will play her final regular season game on Sunday, Sept. 18 when the Indiana Fever host the Dallas Wings (4:00 p.m.) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
In order to accommodate the celebration of Tamika Catchings’ final regular season game, the Fever’s annual Fan Appreciation Night presented by Sport Graphics has been moved to Friday, Sept. 16 when Indiana battles the Minnesota Lynx (7:00 p.m.).
Fever fans can save on tickets in the Krieg DeVault Club Level with promo code: Fever20. Tickets purchased with this code will automatically enter fans for a chance to win great prizes including $20,000 or a trip to the 2017 WNBA All-Star game. Learn more and view rules at WNBASuper20.com.
Related: Pacers’ Paul George Buys 5,000 Balcony Tickets for Sunday’s Game >>
A special retirement ceremony will take place immediately after the game on Sept. 18, with fans invited to attend. Other in-game fan elements include:
- Fans in the lower bowl will receive a #24Forever t-shirt and all fans will receive “I was there at Tamika’s last game” certificates.
- Renowned sand sculpturist Joe Castillo will pay special tribute to Catchings’ career at halftime.
- Tribute videos will be played throughout the game.
- Fans can record video messages for Tamika which will be played throughout the game.
- Top plays and top moments from Catchings’ career will be played for fans throughout the afternoon.
- Fever players will wear a special Tamika Catchings shooting shirt. Fans can purchase this shirt in the Home Court Gift Shop ($25).
About Tamika Catchings —
Catchings joined the Indiana franchise in 2001 when she was the club’s first-round draft selection – just one year after the club was established. Since that time, she has been the face of the franchise through 16 seasons, 13 playoff appearances, eight visits to the conference finals, three trips to the WNBA Finals and a 2012 WNBA championship.
Despite over 520 games in a Fever jersey and the owner of virtually every record in Fever history, Catchings is much more than a basketball player. She has routinely earned distinction as one of the nation’s finest citizen-athletes with committed community engagement throughout the country and even internationally. In 2015, she was the inaugural winner of the ESPN Sports Humanitarian of the Year. Earlier this summer, she became the first two-time recipient of the WNBA’s Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award. In November, she will be honored in consecutive weeks with the Pathfinder Award by the Indiana Sports Corporation, honoring those who improve the lives of America’s youth; and the Musial Award by the St. Louis Sports Commission, for extraordinary sportsmanship.
Universally liked by fans, coaches and fellow players, Catchings also is a two-time winner of the WNBA’s Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award.
With her base in Indianapolis, Catchings has become a local community icon, revered and respected by players, coaches, youth, parents, corporate partners, executives and civic leaders. Catchings’ Catch The Stars Foundation (CTSF) has become a respected charitable agency that spread its roots during a league-wide Legacy Tour as part of her final pro season. She has served as an international ambassador with the NBA and WNBA, the Women’s Sports Foundation and the State Department of the United States.
Legacy Tour postgame events in each of 12 WNBA cities included a $2,000 gift to a local charity in every city. Founded in 2004, CTSF was established to host fitness clinics and basketball camps, but has ballooned to include mentoring programs for boys and girls, a scholarship program for high school student-athletes, and reading corners in area schools and Riley Children’s Hospital.
The 37-year old Catchings earned a fourth Olympic gold medal last month, matching an Olympic basketball record for men or women. The 12-time All-WNBA recipient and 10-time WNBA All-Star has started every game this summer for the playoff-minded Fever, hoping to extend the Fever’s WNBA record for consecutive playoff appearances to 12. The 2011 league MVP and 2012 Finals MVP, Catchings has appeared in every playoff game in franchise history, amassing a WNBA-record 67 playoff games.
She didn’t play in the 2001 season due to an injury in college, but Catchings was the 2002 WNBA Rookie of the Year and after 15 active seasons, she is the league’s all-time leader in steals and free throws. She is the No. 2 scorer in WNBA history and she needs only 17 rebounds in her last five games to become the leading rebounder in league history. Catchings has been named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year an unprecedented five times.
She also is the WNBA’s all-time leader in postseason points, rebounds, steals and games played.
Said Fever President and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf, “I am proud that Tamika will have played her entire career in an Indiana Fever uniform. Anyone who has not seen her play in person should do so. She is a future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest overall players in the history of the women’s game. Her handprints are all over this franchise. Her impact on and off the court is immeasurable.”