Tamika Catchings is stepping down as vice president of basketball operations and general manager of the Indiana Fever, the team announced Monday.
The franchise's most storied player, who helped Indiana win a WNBA championship in 2012 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year, had held the front-office positions since 2017, and the team has struggled under her leadership.
“While change is never easy, now it’s time to take a step back from my role as general manager, take a well-earned rest, and prioritize my family, my philanthropy, our community, and my other passions," Catchings said in a statement. “The opportunity to be drafted into this world-class Fever organization, to be embraced by these amazing owners, fans, coaches, teammates and community, and to be given the chance to grow as an executive leader has been a true blessing.”
Catchings will be replaced by Lin Dunn, who coached Indiana's championship-winning squad.
Indiana has finished out of the playoffs every season since Catchings retired in 2016. The team's last two first-round draft picks — Lauren Cox and Kysre Gondrezick — were both cut by the organization before they had a chance to develop. Cox now plays for Los Angeles and Gondrezick was recently signed by the Chicago Sky.
The Fever have the No. 2 pick in the April draft after winning just six games each of the past two seasons.
“Tamika has been instrumental in making the dream of professional sports a reality for future generations of female athletes. And as a core member of the Fever executive team since 2017, she has helped strengthen the Fever basketball brand while reinforcing the organization’s commitment to our most vulnerable communities,” Pacers Sports & Entertainment owner Herb Simon said in a statement.
"Tamika is a fierce competitor, a Hall of Famer in every sense, and she will always be a part of our family. I look forward to watching her excel and grow in whatever pursuits come next.”
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