Hall of Famer and basketball legend Tamika Catchings has seen it all in the WNBA. She played 15 seasons with the Indiana Fever and led them to a league championship as Finals MVP in 2012. She is a 10-time WNBA All-Star and won four Olympic gold medals with Team USA from 2004-2016.
So when Catchings described this moment in the WNBA as “unprecedented” in a phone interview Monday, with the epicenter right where she is in Indianapolis, it’s safe to say it’s something the league has never seen before.
At this critical juncture early in the 2024 season, amid historic television ratings, attendance, interest and now controversy, Catchings spoke with USA Today Sports about a variety of topics, including Chennedy Carter’s surprise takedown of Kaitlyn Clark during Saturday’s Indiana-Chicago game, Angel Reese’s reaction to a foul that was later upgraded to a Flagrant 1, how Clark has adapted to the WNBA and vice versa.
Catchings said he was watching Saturday’s Fever vs Sky game when the controversial hit occurred.
“I don’t agree with this cowardly attack, especially when injuries occur,” she said. “The play itself was wrong and we all have a responsibility as a whole to make sure that doesn’t happen, that nobody receives a hit like that.”
“From the league’s standpoint, you’ve got to protect your players. I was really surprised the refs didn’t take the time to look at it during the game. I was watching the game. I was really surprised the refs didn’t see it and just went ahead with it. That’s not a basketball play.”
Catchings said she herself had been the target of vile attacks during her career.
“I remember the sneaky stuff and I remember being held back,” she said. “That happens a lot. So the reaction from some of the players is, ‘We’re playing and she and the other newbies have to go out there and prove themselves,’ but it wasn’t sneaky stuff.”
Angel Reese’s reaction to teammate Carter hitting Clark was captured on ESPN cameras, as she quickly rose to her feet, clapping and hugging Carter as he came to the bench.
“I haven’t spoken to the Angels,” Catchings said, “but I’m 100% sure that as a team within the organization they are discussing how to address that, what they need to do internally.”
“From Angel’s standpoint, all eyes are on her, just like Kaitlyn. … Angel has to be who she is, but all of our rookies need maturity. As you grow in the game and get more mature, you know what is acceptable and what is not, and you learn from the mistakes that you make.”
“Hopefully Angel has good people around her who are like, ‘Hey, that’s not cool, but how do I adapt to that situation and learn from it?’
Catchings said she told Clark she was here if she needed her, and she speaks to her occasionally.
“Kaitlyn is obviously a great player. She came into college with great success. I love her character and personality. I’m really happy to have her in Indianapolis. I think she’s going to have a great career here and in the WNBA,” Catchings said. “She has a big weight on her shoulders and she’s handling it really well.”
She has watched as the 22-year-old superstar received one of the most interesting welcomes in the WNBA.
“Every night, opponents’ game plans are built around Caitlin Clark,” she said. “And that’s huge. They’re guarding her at the half-court line because she’s a logo three-pointer. They’re guarding her in her face and they’re guarding her at the free-throw line on the defensive end. Every night, she’s going to be single-teamed, double-teamed, triple-teamed and quadruple-teamed. That’s a huge compliment.”
That’s to be expected with a talent like Clarke’s, said Catchings, a five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.
“Whenever a great player comes or a player that’s garnering attention, even for me, the competitive spirit in me comes out. Every time I play against Diana (Taurasi) or Sue (Bird), my job, my mind, my responsibility is to limit my touches and make sure they don’t score more than their average. My goal is to make sure they only score half of what they average. That’s my only goal, my mindset. The players that Kaitlyn plays against every day will have that same goal.”
Ups and downs are to be expected
Indiana has had by far the toughest opening schedule of any team in the league, playing 11 games in 20 days, six of them against the league’s top three teams, and going 2-9. But Catchings sees some bright spots for Clark and his team.
Clark recorded 150+ points, 50+ rebounds and 50+ assists in each of her first 10 games, a feat only achieved by Sabrina Ionescu in WNBA history. She also became the first rookie to record 30 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks in a single game and just the fourth player in league history to do so, joining Taurasi, Angel McCaughey and Breanna Stewart. On Monday, Clark was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year for May.
Clark is currently fourth in the league in assists per game, 18th in points per game, tied for second in 3-pointers made, and leads the league in turnovers.
“She got along really well with her college teammates, so right now Caitlin and her new teammates are just figuring out how to play together,” Catchings said. “It’s an adjustment to coming into a totally different system, a totally different coach and coaching staff. The only consistent thing is basketball. She knows how to play basketball. A lot of the turnovers are just adjusting to playing with her teammates and they’re adjusting to her. She’s had 30-point games, she’s had single-digit scoring games. She’s had her ups and downs, but that’s to be expected.”
Learning to play as a team
Catchings said the reason Indiana hasn’t yet seen the “enforcer” it so desperately needs on social media to protect Clark could be because Fever players don’t know each other that well.
“I’m just watching from the outside, but I will say this: With the injuries, with very little practice, the guys are still trying to learn each other and how to play for each other. So when you talk about enforcers, they’re enforcers because they’re a team, they know and understand how to protect each other. Nothing happens without a team effort, and I think they’re still trying to get to that stage.”
But there’s no question that Clark and the team are already a huge box office success: After just five home games in 2024, Indiana has already surpassed its entire 2023 home attendance.
“Everybody’s saying, let’s go see what all the fuss is about,” Catchings said. “You walk into Gainbridge Arena and the stadium is packed to the top. We’re talking about a regular season game, and it’s crazy right now. Before, you could pull up right before the game. Now you can’t. The parking lots are full. Everyone with Iowa, Illinois and Tennessee license plates has heard about Caitlin Clark and they want to meet her.”
