Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings is East Player of the Week
Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever is the Eastern Conference player of the week for games played Aug. 16 to Aug. 20, the league said in a news release on Monday.
For Catchings, the reigning league MVP, her third Player of the Week award presented by Boost Mobile honor this season gives her 17 for her career, second most in league history behind only Seattle’s Lauren Jackson (19).
Catchings led Indiana to a 2-0 record for the week, as the Fever earned a pair of victories over Eastern Conference foes Washington (84-66) and Atlanta (86-72). In the process, the 11-year pro ranked among the conference leaders in a number of statistical categories, including, rebounds (11.5 rpg, first), blocks (1.5 bpg, tied for third), assists (4.0 apg, tied for fifth), scoring (15.5 ppg, sixth), and steals (2.0 spg , tied for seventh).
The University of Tennessee product opened the week with 14 points, 14 boards, three steals, three assists, and three blocks in the win over Washington. She followed that up with 17 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in the decision over Atlanta. The wins pushed Indiana’s record to 12-7, second best in the East.
Maya Moore earned the award in the West, her first ever.
In leading the Lynx to wins over Washington (98-69) and Tulsa (83-59), Moore ranked second in the Western Conference in scoring (19.2 ppg), tied for third in steals (3.0 spg), was sixth in assists (4.5 apg), and tied for eighth in rebounds (7.0 rpg). In the process, the second-year pro shot 14-for-23 from the field (.609), including 5-of-11 (.455) from three-point range, and helped Minnesota improve its overall record to 17-4, tops in the WNBA.
The University of Connecticut product began the week with 17 points, four boards and three assists in the win over Washington. She followed that up with a 22-point, 10-rebound effort that included six assists and four steals as Minnesota downed Tulsa.
Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week presented by Boost Mobile were Atlanta’s Angel McCoughtry, Chicago’s Sylvia Fowles, and Washington’s Matee Ajavon in the East, and, in the West, Los Angeles’ Kristi Toliver, San Antonio’s Becky Hammon, Seattle’s Tanisha Wright, and Tulsa’s Glory Johnson.
The WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week presented by Boost Mobile are part of a series of oncourt performance awards called the WNBA Performance Awards presented by Boost Mobile. The series, currently in its first season, also includes the WNBA Players of the Month presented by Boost Mobile and four of the WNBA’s most prestigious year-end honors: WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Boost Mobile, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Boost Mobile, WNBA Sixth Woman presented by Boost Mobile, and WNBA Most Improved Player presented by Boost Mobile.
