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Who says girls can't play ball?

The term ‘champ’ is sometimes thrown around loosely, but not when it comes to WNBA star Tamika Catchings, writes Roshni Nair

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Just a few hours after she landed in Mumbai, Tamika Catchings was up and running, much to the glee of the school children, parents and coaches thronging the basketball court at Andheri’s St Dominic Savio High School. It was the city final of the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA Championship, but there was little mistaking who the majority had come to see.

 "I’m a bit jetlagged," laughed the Indiana native as she took a seat off court. One wouldn’t have guessed from the session she had with the kids on offense, defense, stances and why being ambidextrous is a win-win in basketball. Her one-week stay in India also saw her travelling to Chennai to tip off the city finals there.

The term ‘champ’ is sometimes thrown around loosely, but not when it comes to Catchings. This 6’1" tall forward for the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) team Indiana Fever was instrumental in getting Indiana its first-ever WNBA title in 2012, a year after she was named the league’s MVP (Most Valuable Player) and was voted one of its best players of all time. Tamika, now President of the WNBA Players Association, is also the only female basketballer to win four Defensive Player of the Year titles. Her medal hauls include three Olympic and two World Championship golds.
What makes these laurels truly astounding is the context of Catchings overcoming a hearing impairment and years of being bullied for her ‘awkwardness’. Her chronicling of those tough times in the US media made her the epitome of grit. "Wearing hearing aids frustrated me when I was younger, and I eventually I chose to not wear them. But now?" she smiles, "I don’t look at that as a disability. In fact it’s sharpened my observational skills and helped me anticipate what can happen on court. I’m acutely aware of what’s going on around me."

The 35-year-old cited legends Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes as her favourite WNBA players and Alonzo Mourning ("the kind of player I always wanted to be: a good defender, passer, teammate and leader") as her NBA pick. Set to retire next year, Catching will continue her ties with the game she’s devoted over half her life to. On her wish list is being a general manager or team owner someday. Would she want to snap up Indiana Fever? "That would be ideal," she laughs.

Catchings’ post-retirement plans are noteworthy when one considers the glass ceiling looming over women’s professional sports. Although the WNBA is one of the world’s best managed and more widely-viewed women’s sports leagues, its counterpart, the NBA, attracts far more moolah and sponsorships (not to mention, greater fame). This holds true for almost all sports. There's also the sexism (whether subtle or overt) female sports journalists experience on the job, and the near-negligible number of female professional coaches. Catchings is well aware of these obstacles, but remains optimistic.

"Yes, the biggest challenges now are money and sponsorships. But while the NBA is over 60 years old, the WNBA is a young league. We’ve come a long way from where we were. The most important thing is having female team owners. When (retired pro basketball player) Becky Hammon became assistant coach for NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, it was a leap ahead. So was Michelle Roberts becoming Executive Director of the NBPA (National Basketball Players Association). A change is coming. It’s just a matter of time."

And change at the grassroots level is another thing Catchings has focused on with her Catch the Stars Foundation, which organises youth development, literacy and fitness initiatives for inner city kids. "Basketball gave me self-esteem. It taught me how to be a leader, how to communicate and be a team person," she says. "It’s one of the best ways to give disadvantaged and troubled people hope."
roshni.nair@dnaindia.net, @savagespacetaco

All in the family
Tamika’s father Harvey Catchings, a former NBA player for 11 years, played for the Los Angeles Clippers, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks.

Her sister Tauja played basketball for the University of Illinois and is now a pro player in Sweden.

Tamika’s cousin Bobby is also an overseas basketball player, as is her nephew, who plays for a league team in Dubai.

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