Just before she finally won the longgg overdue MVP Award last year, Catch enthusiastically remarked that winning a championship was infinitely more important. It's that unselfish admission you'd expect from a consummate team player. But that's also the frustrating part.
We love basketball because it exemplifies the word team perhaps more so than any other team sport. Chicago Bulls had Jordan, but even with Pippen, the team's third championship wouldn't be clinched without Jim Paxon's dramatic last second jumper. So much depends on the rapport and cohesiveness between players and coaches. And then even with that, it's about getting the calls, capitalizing on timely turnovers, avoiding injury, playing through pain. There's competence but there's also the variables of fortune and misfortune, of circumstances no team has control over.
In a perfect world, Catch would have nabbed multiple MVP awards and at least three rings. Instead, she's played in eight postseasons (including the last seven in a row) without much to show for it aside from a grueling five game series against the Phoenix Mercury in the 2009 Finals.
To be honest, when longtime Connecticut Sun Katie Douglas joined the Fever in 2008, I thought the Fever would win it all. Katie had led the Sun to multiple post seasons and the Fever had put together another 21-13 season in 07, en route to the Eastern Conference Finals. It appeared that she was the missing piece that would best compliment Catch. But Catch missed eight games and despite ranking third in defense, Indiana suffered a disappointing 17-17 record before coming up empty in the playoffs one mo gin.
All of that makes the championship a source of unrequited love for the former Lady Vol. No one in the WNBA hustles more. No one. Ask me which female baller would I want to go up against any NBA star and the answer is easy. She does things on the court that are unstatable, like the many lunges she makes for the loose ball. Her presence alone can intimidate the most fearless of competitors. "I've watched her on television", said Lynx rookie and UConn Lady Huskie legend Maya Moore. "But to play against her was something totally different."
The question of where she ranks among the WNBA's all-time best almost spoils it. I will say she's certainly the best small forward to do it (though my favorite Aussie, the Mercury's Penny Taylor, is no slouch at the three either and yes, her torn ACL is a thorn in my heart). It's already well known that she's the league's career steals queen. If you've been sure-handed all of your career thus far, Catch will likely be the first to pick your pocket. But she also ranked in the top ten for blocks five of her nine years in the league. Her 16.7 points per game is fifth among active players but then she's fifth among the same group in assists as well. She covers all angles.
Consider these quotes courtesy All Ball at NBA.com:
Tina Charles: TC reminds a little of TD, Tim Duncan, in that she is a double-double machine who began her career as the league’s Rookie of the Year, and, if things break right, could add a Finals MVP award in her sophomore season if she and the Sun can get past Catchings’ Fever.
Diana Taurasi: Her all-around brilliance would suggest talent on par with your Larrys, Magics and Michaels.
Geno Auriemma: She is all the things you do not want to compete against. But she’s also all the things you want in a teammate.” Hmmm — a player you’d hate to play against but love to have on your team. Almost sounds like Dennis Rodman to me.
Knowing what Coach meant, I wouldn't put Rodman and Catch in the same sentence, but I'm sure the outspoken UConn taskmaster has said worse. Anyone who's good at reading lips during a Huskie game knows.
I don't expect The Fever to win it all this year. Playoffs, yes. But no championship. Not in my forecast. The Sky look sensational on paper and it'll be interesting to see how Tiffany Hayes works with Angel McCoughtry in the ATL. Given how they faired in the Draft, I'd expect the Mystics to win many more games than they did last year. And oh, that's just the Eastern Conference.
But one thing is certain: win or lose, Tamika Catchings will give it her very best to lead her team to victory. She'll have the Fever crowd on their feet, she'll give opposing teams headaches, she'll intimidate all the highly touted rookies. And yeah, she just might win MVP again.
"If I watch a game I expect the players to give it 150%. I make sure I give that myself".
- WNBA Jones
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