Tamika Catchings is beyond heroic -- beyond sheroic. If you have watched her and the Indiana Fever of the WNBA play this year. You know this is true. These women were on the verge all season long. All throughout the stunning Olympic victories -- the gold medal - you knew that the WNBA Finals were going to come down Tamika Catchings and The Indiana Fever against whomever was the best in the west. I saw it in her eyes months back.
Now if I had an avatar in the WNBA, it would be Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx. There is something about her easy-going intelligence and lethal skills that put me in mind of myself when I was in college. Not an athlete, but I had other skills. Under any other circumstances in the world I would have wanted to see Maya and Lindsey Whalen and Taj McWilliams Franklin (who tried to will her team to a victory) and The Lynx win this thing -- the best of the best in women’s basketball.
It belonged to the Fever. When Katie Douglas went down against the Connecticut Sun in the Conference Finals, my heart dropped. I knew she must have been badly injured because that girl is a baller and she didn’t get up. I thought the Fever were toast. They most definitely weren’t. They won the Eastern Conference and then they went on to win the Finals. They kept playing and playing withstanding every Minnesota run -- everything that the best team in the league had -- and they knocked them down AND they kept them from scoring. They won three games out of four to win it all.
I cried real tears when Lynn Dunn called Katie Douglas to take off her sweats and go in for Shavonte Zealous for the last game’s last possession. It was an honor for both women because Shavonte had STEPPED UP for her team! The coach was crying -- a great, broad, silver-haired woman in a red snakeskin jacket who had prepared her team well. She didn’t have to throw off her jacket to inspire them. Though I really did love it when Cheryl Reeve, the Lynx head coach, got hot and bothered at the officials in game two and ripped off her jacket and pulled out her blouse. I got scared for a wardrobe malfunction and laughed uproariously. Her team rallied and won that game to keep coach in her clothes I think. That was one hilarious moment in women’s basketball.
Harvey Catchings, NBA great and Tamika’s father was there and I know his chest was so swollen he could hardly take a breath. Erin Phillips’ father, an Australian rules soccer great, must have been thrilled cause his daughter PLAYED! And Shavonte Zellous? Zealous. Zealous for her team. I know her friends and family were cheering. And Erlana Larkins said, “Not in my house and not in your house either.” Briann January showed her mettle. Once she nailed a shot, took a spill, tumbled head over heels, then stood up and ran back on defense. She kept Lindsey Whalen relatively quiet. She became my avatar because of her huge heart and her similar name. Every last one of them that came up off that bench was wonderful. You knew they had the rock-solid veteran, Tammy Sutton Brown, if they needed her. She showed her grace by giving up her starting position to the bigger and stronger rebounder, Erlana Larkins. They were a team -- a team of Titans!
If you would want to see courage, determination, athleticism, passion, heart and beauty, you should watch some WNBA games next season.
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