Four-time Olympic gold medalist and Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings will serve as honorary starter for the INDYCAR Grand Prix on Saturday, May 12 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Catchings played her entire 16-year career with the Fever, winning a WNBA championship and the WNBA Finals MVP Award in 2012 and the WNBA MVP Award in 2011. She was named to 12 All-WNBA teams and 10 WNBA All-Star teams. She also was a five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.
“I’m beyond excited to celebrate the Month of May by waving the green flag at this year’s INDYCAR Grand Prix,” Catchings said. “Indianapolis is home for me, and like so many Circle City residents, I consider the Speedway my home away from home in May! So it’s a big honor to climb the flag stand on Race Day and send the field roaring toward Turn 1.”
Former University of Tennessee standout Catchings was a member of United States gold medal-winning teams in the Summer Olympics in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.
Catchings retired from basketball after the 2016 season as the leading rebounder in WNBA history and second all-time leading scorer. In 2015, she was the inaugural winner of the ESPN Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award and was the first three-time winner of the WNBA’s Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award.
Since retiring, Catchings has been busier than ever, opening Tea’s Me Café in Indianapolis, continuing her influential work with the Catch the Stars Foundation and serving as Director of Player Programs and Franchise Development for Pacers Sports & Entertainment.
“Tamika is a beloved member of our community and someone we’ve all spent years cheering for on and off the court,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “We’re proud to have not only a champion but a wonderful community ambassador and business leader waving the green flag on Race Day.”
The INDYCAR Grand Prix starts at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 12. Visit IMS.com to buy tickets or for more information about the INDYCAR Grand Prix and all other events during the Month of May at IMS.
IMS PR
