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Supporting Students Together

One of the most decorated athletes of all time, Tamika Catchings has left an indelible mark at every level of the game. Catchings is a 4-time Olympic gold medalist, 10-time WNBA All-Star, 5-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a WNBA Champion. Beyond her on-court success, she is known for her off-court professionalism and was a 3-time recipient of the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award. In 2004, she launched the Catch the Stars Foundation, which empowers youth by providing goal setting programs that promote Fitness, Literacy and Youth Development.

Since her retirement from professional basketball, she added business owner to her resume as well. A true champion of the people, Tamika divides her time between family, business interests, broadcasting, corporate boards, and philanthropy.

Investments / Ownership

  • Tea’s Me Café Indy & Tea’s Me Community Cafe, Owner

Tea’s Me is Indianapolis’ premier tea bar and café, dedicated to providing customers with a complete tea experience. The café offers the highest quality selection of teas and tisanes from around the world.

Tamika purchased the café in 2017 and opened Tea’s Me Community Café in April 2021.

  • Catchings Enterprises, Inc, Founder | Chairman

Catchings Enterprises, Inc. is the holding company of Tamika’s many business ventures, including real estate, speaking engagements and appearances.

Boards / Leadership
  • Indiana Fever, VP of Basketball Operations / GM (2018-2022)

Previously, Tamika served as the vice president of Fever basketball operations and the General Manager of the Fever. She worked directly with the Fever coaching staff while maintaining day-to-day operations. Prior to that role, she served as director of player programs and franchise development with Pacers Sports & Entertainment, working with all three PS&E basketball franchises – the Indiana Pacers, the Indiana Fever and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

  • Indianapolis Airport Authority Board (2018-Current)

In 2018, Tamika was appointed by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett to serve on the Indianapolis Airport Authority Board. The Indianapolis Airport Authority owns and operates Indiana’s largest airport system in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.

  • USA Basketball Developmental National Team Committee

Tamika served a four-year term as part of the 2017-2020 Developmental National Team Committee. The goal of the committee was to identify and select the athletes and coaches who will comprise our U16 and U17 National Teams. The Board of Directors has recently approved the competition committee structure and committee chairs. Athletes are selected by their peers and members who represent a USA Basketball constituent have been appointed by those organizations (AAU and NFHS).

  • Oath | Board of Advisors

Tamika is a founding member of Oath’s Board of Advisors along with Serena Williams, Rickie Fowler, Abby Wambach and Russell Wilson. The advisors leveraged the diverse power of Oath’s one billion global consumers and dynamic house of media and tech properties to create compelling content.

Broadcasting
  • ESPN/SEC Network

Tamika is a Color Analyst with ESPN/ SEC Network across multiple programs where she provides expert analysis and background information, such as statistics, and strategy.

 

Philanthropy / Community

Tamika and her sister, Tauja Catchings, co-founded and oversee the Catch the Stars Foundation, located in Indianapolis, IN. Through her foundation, Tamika aims to assist, inspire, and empower disadvantaged youth to develop essential skills needed to maximize and create opportunities.

  • Tamika Catchings Endowed Scholarship Fund – The scholarship supports the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Audiology & Speech Pathology graduate students.
  • Tamika Catchings Amplification Assistance Fund – The Amplification Assistance Fund supports University of Tennessee Health Science Center Hearing & Speech Center patients in need. Funds go toward helping provide qualified individuals with such things as new hearing aids, repairs to broken equipment, and replacement parts.

Tamika has received numerous accolades for her dedicated efforts on behalf of varied social causes, including the ESPN Sports Humanitarian of the Year. In 2016, she became the first two-time recipient of the WNBA’s Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award and the first three-time winner of the WNBA’s Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award. Additionally, she was honored in consecutive weeks with the Pathfinder Award by the Indiana Sports Corporation, honoring those who improve the lives of America’s youth.

Tamika formerly sat on the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition during the George W. Bush administration, and a constant throughout her life has been her dedication to a healthy lifestyle.

Basketball
  • University of Tennessee – Tamika was a member of Tennessee’s 1998 NCAA Women’s Championship team. The consensus National Player of the Year in 2000, she would leave Knoxville as one of the program’s most accomplished players. A four-time Kodak/WBCA All-American, Tamika led the Volunteers to a 134-10 record and four SEC regular-season championships during her four years. Scoring 2113 points and grabbing 1004 rebounds, Tamika was honored as only the fifth player to have her jersey retired by the school.
  • WNBA – The Indiana Fever selected Tamika with the third overall pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft. The 12-time All-WNBA recipient and 10-time WNBA All-Star helped lead the Fever to a league-record 12 consecutive playoff appearances, 13 overall. The 2011 league MVP added the 2012 Finals MVP to her list of accomplishments after leading the Fever to their first WNBA Championship. She retired as the leading rebounder in WNBA history, and its No. 2 all-time scorer. She was named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year an unprecedented five times. In addition to her unparalleled play, Tamika was routinely acknowledged for her sportsmanship. In 2016, she became the first two-time recipient of the WNBA’s Dawn Staley

Community Leadership Award and the first three-time winner of the WNBA’s Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award. Following her final season, she was 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.

  • USA Basketball – Catchings matched an Olympic basketball record for men or women by earning her fourth Olympic gold medal in 2016. Catchings continues to serve as a national and international ambassador for the NBA and WNBA and was recently named to USA Basketball’s Women’s Developmental National Team Committee.
Notable Awards
  • 2022 International Citizen of the Year
  • 2022 Visit Indy Bill McGowan Leadership Award
  • 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame/ Springfield Rotary “Service Above Self” Award
  • 2021 MLK Award from Indiana Civil Rights Commission
  • 2020 Torchbearer Award winner
  • 2020 Amplifier Award Recipient
  • 2015 ESPN Humanitarian Award recipient
  • Two-Time Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award Winner
Cleveland State CC Foundation Logo Tree

For more information, contact
Lee McChesney: (423) 473-2489 or email
lmcchesney@clevelandstatecc.edu