Basketball legend Tamika Catchings embraces a new chapter, championing the Pacers Sports & Entertainment vision and energizing communities statewide.
Tamika Catchings is coming home again, this time to help shape the future of the franchise she helped define. The WNBA icon and longtime Indiana staple is rejoining the organization in a newly created ambassador position with Pacers Sports & Entertainment, the team announced Tuesday. The role formalizes Catchings’ continued presence around Indiana basketball and expands her reach across the company’s growing sports portfolio.
In the position, Catchings will serve as a visible representative for the Indiana Fever, the Indiana Pacers and the Noblesville Boom, the Pacers’ G League affiliate. Her responsibilities include supporting business initiatives, energizing organizational events and helping communicate the broader vision and growth of Pacers Sports & Entertainment across Indiana and beyond.
Catchings’ return carries weight well beyond a title. Few figures are more closely associated with basketball in the state, and fewer still have left as enduring a legacy on and off the court.
After being drafted by the Fever in 2001, Catchings spent her entire 16-year WNBA career in Indiana, becoming the face of the franchise through its formative years and its peak. She helped deliver the organization’s lone championship in 2012 and retired in 2016 as one of the most decorated players in league history.
Her impact, however, extended far beyond the box score. Catchings was a constant presence in the community, building relationships with fans, youth programs and civic leaders while helping elevate the Fever’s standing locally and nationally.
In a statement released by the organization, Catchings reflected on her deep ties to Indiana and the opportunity to continue contributing in a new way.
“I’m thrilled to step into this new ambassador role and continue serving the communities, families and fans that make this place so special,” Catchings said. “I can’t wait to work alongside the Fever, the Pacers and my PS&E family to help strengthen the impact we can make together.”
From the organizational side, Pacers Sports & Entertainment leadership emphasized that the role was designed with Catchings specifically in mind, blending her basketball credibility with her long-standing commitment to service and leadership.
In announcing the move, PS&E president and CEO Mel Raines highlighted Catchings’ unique standing within the state.
“Tamika Catchings is synonymous with basketball excellence, leadership and community commitment in Indiana,” Raines said. “Her legacy as a champion, along with her deep connection to our fans and her passion for uplifting others, align perfectly with our mission.”
Catchings’ résumé remains among the most accomplished in women’s basketball history. In addition to her WNBA championship and 10 All-Star selections, she won four Olympic gold medals with Team USA basketball and was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2020.
Now, as the Fever enter a new era of visibility and growth, Catchings’ presence offers both continuity and credibility. For a franchise rooted in its past while pushing forward, her return signals a familiar voice helping guide what comes next.