Later this year, Tamika Catchings will give a speech in Knoxville at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, within a hop, skip and jump of her alma mater Tennessee Lady Vols commemorating her enshrinement into the Women’s Hall.
She may have to give a second speech in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Congratulations to 10x @WNBA All-Star, 4x Olympic Gold Medalist and WNBA Champion #20HoopClass finalist @Catchin24. pic.twitter.com/4eYTpqQbvU
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) February 14, 2020
LIVE: The @Hoophall Class of 2020 Finalists are announced! #20HoopClass https://t.co/jPJpJzNgzK
— NBA (@NBA) February 14, 2020
Catchings was announced as one of eight finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
One step closer 🙌🏾
Congratulations to our Tamika Catchings on being named a 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ⭐️
📰 >> https://t.co/9Grxu6xxr2#24Forever x #20HoopClass pic.twitter.com/gMULkRvWGR
— Indiana Fever ⛹️♀🏀 (@IndianaFever) February 14, 2020
“To be in this class, to be with [Kobe]…it’s truly amazing”@Catchin24 on what it means to be a finalist for the @Hoophall in the same class as her childhood friend 🙏🏾💜💛
Watch the full interview: https://t.co/EWUE96M9MS#24Forever x #20HoopClass pic.twitter.com/fUv6wJ0spG
— Indiana Fever ⛹️♀🏀 (@IndianaFever) February 15, 2020
“This far exceeds anything I ever [dreamed] of.”
Tamika Catchings (@Catchin24) talks about what it means to be named a finalist for the @Hoophall 🙏🏾📹#24Forever x #20HoopClass pic.twitter.com/VfhIhhzuye
— Indiana Fever ⛹️♀🏀 (@IndianaFever) February 14, 2020
Catchings’ resume speaks for itself – 10 appearances in the WNBA All-Star Game, the 2002 Rookie of the Year Award, five Defensive Player of the Year Award, the WNBA’s MVP in 2011, four Olympic gold medals and a WNBA championship in 2012. It was great enough for the Hall in Knoxville, it should be good enough for the Hall in Massachusetts.
Congratulations to #20HoopClass finalist @KimMulkey. She is the first person to win a National Championship as a player, assistant coach and head coach! pic.twitter.com/KcT4yhxEFL
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) February 14, 2020
Just hours after @KimMulkey was named a Class of 2020 @hoophall finalist, she stands on another fellow honoree’s court. Congrats to all the finalists!#SicEm pic.twitter.com/di5csPvqQ3
— Baylor Lady Bears (@BaylorWBB) February 15, 2020
In addition to Catchings, three-time NCAA national champion coach Kim Mulkey (Baylor Bears) will also be on the ballot for the Hall. Her championships came in 2005, 2012 and 2019 and her teams have appeared in 17 NCAA tournaments since 2000 – including a quartet of Final Four showings. Under Mulkey’s tutelage, Baylor was won 12 Big 12 tournaments. She is the first person to win a title as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
Congratulations to Kim Mulkey, Tamika Catchings and Barbara Stevens on being named finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame 👏 pic.twitter.com/BDEX8UidKn
— espnW (@espnW) February 14, 2020
The Women’s Committee also named Barbara Stevens as a finalist. She has coached at Bentley University since 1986 and her teams have appeared in 10 Division II Final Fours – including the 2014 national title. Stevens was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
The list of finalists for the Hall also included two coaches in Oklahoma State’s Eddie Sutton and former Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich in addition to Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and …
Congratulations to 18x @NBAAllStar, 5x @NBA Champion and 2x NBA Finals MVP #20HoopClass finalist Kobe Bryant. pic.twitter.com/92LKIEfutF
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) February 14, 2020
One step closer to Springfield. #MambaForever pic.twitter.com/ojR8iHpcwD
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 14, 2020
Kobe. KG. Tim Duncan.
Three legendary careers. Three Basketball Hall of Fame finalists. pic.twitter.com/2NrCJeOT4H
— ESPN (@espn) February 14, 2020
The Hall of Fame also announced the winners of the Curt Gowdy Award as those honors were bestowed upon Mike Breen and Michael Wilbon – both of ESPN. The crew from TNT’s Inside the NBA also won the first Transformative Media Award.
Congrats to @RealMikeWilbon (print) and Mike Breen (electronic) for winning this year’s Curt Gowdy Award. Also congrats @NBAonTNT‘s Inside the NBA crew for winning the first Transformative Media award
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 14, 2020
Congrats to ESPN colleagues Mike Breen and @RealMikeWilbon for their pending inductions as Curt Gowdy Award winners by the Basketball Hall of Fame! Well deserved!!
— Marc Kestecher (@marckestecher) February 14, 2020
ESPN congratulates the 2020 Curt Gowdy Media Award recipients, @ESPNNBA commentators Mike Breen and Michael Wilbon. pic.twitter.com/sbZ9hcev8w
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 14, 2020
