NEW YORK, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Forward Tamika Catchings, who led the Indiana Fever to their first playoff berth in franchise history, was named Friday as WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Catchings received 48 of a possible 60 votes from a nationwide panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm finished second, followed by Swim Cash of the Detroit Shock and Nikki Teasley of the Los Angeles Sparks.
Catchings led all rookies in scoring (18.6), rebounding (8.6) and three-pointers made (76). She became the first WNBA player to record 60 three-pointers and 80 steals in a single season and finished the year as the league leader in steals, averaging 2.94 per game.
Catchings was the only player in the league to win Player of the Week honors twice this season and was named a starter in the WNBA All-Star game. She led the Eastern Conference with 12 points.
The former University of Tennessee standout was selected by Indiana with the third overall pick in the 2001 draft, but she missed all of last year with a torn ACL in her right knee.
