[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 139 (Wednesday, September 14, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING TAMIKA CATCHINGS FOR HER ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER WITH THE INDIANA 
                                 FEVER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 14, 2016

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Tamika 
Catchings, an Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer and four-time Olympic 
gold medalist. Catchings is a 15-year veteran of WNBA's Indiana Fever, 
an inspirational leader in our Hoosier community, and a strong advocate 
for kids everywhere to achieve their dreams.
  Tamika's athletic prowess debuted early, while in high school she 
completed the first ever quintuple-double which is 25 points, 18 
rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals, and 10 blocks in one game. This feat 
has only ever been performed twice. In college, Tamika played under the 
legendary Pat Summit for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols. During 
her time with the Lady Vols Tamika was named a College National 
Champion and a four-time All American. Following college, she entered 
the WNBA draft where the Indiana Fever drafted her as their first-round 
pick.
  It has been a pleasure to watch the WNBA's Indiana Fever grow from a 
fledgling team during my time on the Fever's Advisory Board to the 
flourishing program it is today. Tamika has spent her entire career 
with the Fever and she has certainly been a key driver of growth and 
success for the team. She led them to their first WNBA Championship in 
2012, where she was named MVP. Tamika was the 2002 season's rookie of 
the year. She's a 10-time WNBA All-Star, a five-time WNBA Defensive 
Player of the Year, and a 2011 league MVP. WNBA fans placed her in the 
Top 15 WNBA players in history while her fellow players echoed these 
sentiments and elected her to serve as President of the WNBA Player 
Association for the 2012 season. As well as playing for Indiana's 
Fever, this summer Tamika competed in the 2016 Olympics and as a member 
of Team USA, earned her fourth Olympic gold medal. She truly is one of 
the greatest female basketball players of all time.
  Tamika has been recognized not only as an exemplary player for the 
Fever, but as an invaluable contributor to women's basketball overall. 
She was recently selected to be the first woman to receive the National 
Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award. The Women's Blue Chip 
Basketball League at their 10th Year Anniversary in 2015 awarded Tamika 
as a Trailblazer; she was one of ten female basketball icons to receive 
this award. And she is a two-time Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award 
winner.
  Off the court, Tamika is passionate about helping others, especially 
young people. In her recently released autobiography, Catch a Star: 
Shining Through Adversity to Become a Champion, Tamika discusses her 
childhood struggles with bullying as well as her profound hearing loss. 
Through her determination to overcome these challenges, Tamika 
succeeded to change the course of her destiny through hard work and her 
love of basketball. Catch a Star is her story of triumph, and through 
her own journey Tamika recognized that she could make a difference in 
the lives of others. Twelve years ago, she founded the Catch the Stars 
Foundation, which aims to empower youth to achieve their dreams by 
promoting literacy, fitness, and mentoring. Catch the Stars Foundation 
works with youth throughout Indianapolis, specifically supporting and 
assisting under-served and low to moderate income communities 
throughout our city.
  On behalf of all Hoosiers, I'd like to congratulate Tamika on her 
success on and off the court, and wish her and her new husband, 
Parnell, the best as she begins the next incredible chapter of her 
life.

                          ____________________