Fever clinch 5th seed in Catchings’ last regular-season game
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Tamika Catchings scored 16 points in her final regular-season WNBA game and the Indiana Fever locked up the No. 5 playoff seed with an 83-60 victory over the Dallas Wings on Sunday.
Catchings received a standing ovation when she left the game with 1:33 left in the fourth quarter. She played all of her 15 seasons with Indiana, finishing her WNBA career second in points, first in rebounds and first in steals.
During the first quarter, Catchings became the first WNBA player to make 2,000 free throws.
WNBA career scoring leader Tina Thompson was on hand to show her support and former Pacers great Reggie Miller received cheers when the video screen showed him wearing one of the special game-day editions of Catchings’ shooting shirt.
The Fever (17-17) tied the Atlanta Dream for fifth place in the overall standings and earned the higher seed by virtue of a 2-1 edge in the season series. Indiana will host the eighth seed, either Phoenix or Seattle, for a single-elimination game in the first round.
Indiana led 45-26 at the break and went unchallenged through the second half.
Karima Christmas led the Wings (11-23) with 12 points.