Tamika Catchings was appointed as a member of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition on March 24, 2023, for a 2-year term.
One of the most decorated athletes of all time, Ms. Catchings has left an indelible mark at every level of the game. Catchings is a 4-time Olympic gold medalist, 10-time Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star, 5-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a WNBA Champion. She helped lead the Indiana Fever to a league-record 12 consecutive playoff appearances and was the 2011 WNBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and 2012 Finals MVP, leading the Fever to their first WNBA Championship. Catchings retired as the leading rebounder in WNBA history and second in all-time scoring.
In 2004, she launched the Catch the Stars Foundation, which empowers youth by providing goal-setting programs that promote fitness, literacy, and youth development. In addition to the Foundation, Catchings operates the cozy Tea’s Me Café on the north side of downtown Indianapolis and continues her engagement with basketball, serving as an ESPN/SEC Network Analyst. Catchings is the author of an autobiographical story, Catch A Star: Shining through Adversity to Become a Champion, sharing her story of overcoming hearing loss, separation from family, high expectations, and the pain of debilitating physical injuries. Catchings was routinely acknowledged for her sportsmanship and has received numerous accolades for her dedicated efforts on behalf of varied social causes, including the ESPN Sports Humanitarian of the Year, the WNBA’s Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award, the WNBA’s Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award, and the Pathfinder Award by the Indiana Sports Corporation, honoring those who improve the lives of America’s youth.
