Tamika Catchings to be inducted into Women’s Baketball Hall of Fame
Former Lady Vols’ basketball player Tamika Catchings will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday.
Catchings, who played for head coach Pat Summitt, was set to be inducted as part of the hall’s 2020 class, but last year’s induction ceremony was postponed due to coronavirus pandemic.
Catchings will join seven others at the 2021 induction ceremonies at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Other inductees include: Debbie Brock (Delta State); Carol Callan (USA Basketball); Swin Cash (Connecticut/U.S. Olympian/WNBA); the late Sue Donohoe (NCAA contributor); Lauren Jackson (WNBA/Australian Olympian); the late David Stern (NBA commissioner) and Carol Stiff (ESPN).
Catchings was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts in May.
She will become the 10th Tennessee basketball player to be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Catchings joins Cindy Noble Hauserman (2000), Patricia Roberts (2000); Holly Warlick (2001); Cindy Brogdon (2002); Daedra Charles-Furlow (2007); Bridgette Gordon (2007); Jill Rankin Schneider (2008); Nikki McCray-Penson (2012) and Chamique Holdsclaw (2018).
Summit, Joan Cronan, Mickie DeMoss and Beth Bass have also been inducted as coaches and administrators.
The 1980 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, which was prevented from competing due to a boycott of the games in Moscow, will be honored as Trailblazers of the Game.
That team had four ties to the Lady Vols including Summitt, who served as an assistant coach. Warlick, Cindy Noble and Jill Rankin were all players on the roster.
