It is official—we will never see another Indiana Fever player wear the number 24. That number in Indiana Fever history will always be affiliated and associated with Tamika Catchings, who had her number 24 jersey retired at halftime of the Fever’s home game on Saturday vs. the Los Angeles Sparks.
A 10-time WNBA All-Star, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, a former league MVP, and WNBA champion, as well as being named one of the league’s 20 Greatest Players of All-Time, Catchings’ number was indeed raised to the rafters of the Bankers Life Fieldhouse after a storied and decorated tenure as a player in the W.
Indiana eventually lost the game to the Sparks, but regardless of the result, there would not be any dampening of spirits when halftime commenced.
When it was time for her to speak, there was no shortage of emotion coming from Catchings.
(Video Credit: WNBA)
I never would have dreamed that the WNBA would start my freshman year in college and I would have the opportunity to play in a league that was designed just for me.
–Tamika Catchings
She continued by thanking those within Pacers Sports and Entertainment for believing in her, especially in moments where she had her own self-doubts.
Catch also thanked the fans for their support over the years as well, because as she put it…
You’re the reason that I wanted to stay.
Catchings thanked a cavalcade of people for the success she managed to attain throughout her career—from her fans, to her teammates, to her husband.
She also took part in a postgame press conference where she talked more about the ceremony and her 16-year career.
(Video Credit: Indiana Fever)
You never imagine as a little girl. You dream about your jersey being retired. You dream about winning championships, putting banners up in the rafters that way.
–Tamika Catchings
Among what Catchings was asked about was the effect that the late Pat Summitt had on her career coming from Tennessee. Catchings said that while she attended the Fever’s shootaround prior to their game against the Sparks she saw an orange part of confetti come down.
Seeing that confetti come down—it’s a reminder that no matter what, she’s always with me in everything that I do.
Some of her postgame comments included defining the raising of the number as the “grand finale” to a storied career and that no Fever player will adorn the 24 ever again.
It’s one thing when you put on a jersey and you wear it one year and then, go somewhere else and somebody else has that same number on. But to know that no matter what year you come, whether it’s next year, 15, 50, 100 years down the road, nobody will ever wear that number—and it’s an honor for them to even put me on that level. I’m humbled.
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
