Defensive Player Winner- Catchings and her brush with WNBA History
Defensive Player of the year, Tamika Catchings, of Phoenix Arizona Fever, did not quite enjoy her first experience on her first WNBA Finals.
On the first game over Indiana Mercury, she was not in her element, guarding Diana Taurasi, the Most Valuable Player of the year. In the first thirty one minutes of the game, scoring only eight points, she was really not playing her best then. Could that possibly be because of the player she was guarding?
Arizona Fever, however, had home court advantage over Mercury, so they were able to steal the game. They had to go overtime, and pulling out Catchings made her feel letting the team down. Although they were able to defeat Indiana, Catchings felt she was not able to give what the team deserved and stepped up to it at the end of the game. She promised her the blunders she felt she created during the entire game would not be repeated again.
This was made true on the second game, winning the second game in the best of five series. She sure played her usual game, and led the way on both sides of the court for the second game.
Co players and team coach felt that on game two, Catchings radiated passion, determination, her usual great playing skills and persistence in ensuring a great game, and winning.
Because of the great way her games have been, especially for the first two games of the WNBA Finals, officials and game authorities noted that Catchings could have almost beaten the record on the first triple-double in WNBA Finals history. Catchings’ record for that game was nineteen points, eleven assists, and nine rebounds; which is just one rebound short of the record. That would’ve been a feat for first time WNBA Finals player, Tamika Catchings.
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