Catchings claims top defensive honor again

08.17.2006

New York, NY (Basketball News) - Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings was honored as the WNBA’s top defensive player for the second year in a row.

Catchings won in a landslide, receiving 43 of a possible 66 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters to outdistance Connecticut’s Katie Douglas for the award.

Douglas received seven votes to finish second in the balloting, while former winners Sheryl Swoopes of Houston and Lisa Leslie of Los Angeles tied for third with two votes apiece. Swoopes won the award in 2000, 2002 and ’03, while Leslie captured the honor in 2004.

Catchings led the WNBA in steals with 2.94 per game and, with a total of 94 thefts, became the only player in league history to lead the league in steals for three different seasons. Her team ranked atop the WNBA in fewest points allowed with 68.1.

The former Tennessee star was also the only WNBA player to finish this season ranked among the league’s top 10 in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

IND

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