gles TE Zach Ertz has 20 catches in last th | Forum
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Jan 16 '20
INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana president Kelly Krauskopf initially built the fledgling Fever around home-state star Stephanie White. Stars Jerseys 2020 .Turns out, the hard-working rookie she drafted in 2001, Tamika Catchings, emerged as the face of the franchise.On Sunday, the two most iconic players in Fever history -- one now the coach -- will say farewell to the WNBA in their final regular-season home game. Coach White is taking over the Vanderbilt program and Catchings is retiring.I think they had an equal impact. What both leave behind and have meant to this franchise ... Krauskopf said, pausing. Steph was the very first player I went out and got to start this franchise. They were the cornerstones of this franchise.The game Sunday against Dallas wont be their last. Indiana has already clinched a playoff spot, and these two still envision going out after a victory celebration.Regardless, it seems fitting that White and Catchings, who have shared so many moments and memories over the past 15 years, are leaving together.Its hard to fathom just how much these two have meant to Indiana.Catchings legacy has been well-documented on the court. She started Friday nights game at Minnesota ranked No. 2 in WNBA career scoring (7,353 points), sixth in assists (1,487) and 12th in blocks (384), She already held the league record for steals (1,071) and needed just three rebounds to pass all-time leader Lisa Leslie (3,307).Those numbers only tell part of the tale of the 2011 WNBA MVP, 2012 Finals MVP, five-time defensive player of the year and 10-time All-Star, who spent most of her career being cited as the top choice front-office executives would build a franchise around and the top choice of league players as the teammate they wanted.Before arriving in Indianapolis, the shy, hearing-impaired kid went from Texas prep star to four-time All-American and part of an undefeated national championship team at Tennessee. Krauskopf took her No. 3 overall in the 2001 draft even though she knew Catchings would miss that first season with a torn ACL.Her growth as a player and a person was equally impressive. She started a foundation to help young people achieve their goals, became the president of the players union, wrote a book, interned at the NBA and got married in February.The four-time Olympic gold medalist could have enjoyed a WNBA farewell tour in her final season, but instead turned it into a legacy tour in which she gave something back to her fans.I dont need anything and basically I dont want anything. It only seemed right, Catchings said. It was about the kids being there and seeing how excited they were. The thing I enjoyed most was being able to spend time with each kid in the autograph line and being able to talk to them. I remember one place this boy yelled across the gym at me and I looked up at him and you could just see his face. He was so excited -- and thats a boy.Catchings calls her foundation, Catch The Stars, and the impact its had on other peoples lives her proudest achievement. On Friday, Catchings said her teammates donated $50,000.Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, so many more people are proud of the star.NBA All-Star and new Olympic gold medalist Paul George bought 5,000 balcony tickets for Sundays game, which were distributed to fans on Friday. Krauskopf talks about the handwritten notes she keeps in a desk drawer from children and parents thanking Catchings for speaking at their school, in their community or just being a role model.But thats nothing compared to actually being on the court with her.As a teammate, you want to be better for her, White said. I will never forget one play, I dont remember where we were, and I missed an assignment on the defensive end, and she said `Come on, Steph. I felt like I let her down.The truth is, White was pretty good herself.She was the small-town star who made it big -- going from 1995 Gatorade national player of the year and 1995 Indiana Miss Basketball at nearby Seeger High School to Purdue, where she won a national championship in 1999. Then onto the WNBA, where she handed over the reins of Fever team leader to Catchings so White could start a coaching career.When White returned as an assistant in 2011, Catchings was still excelling. The next year when the Fever finally captured their first WNBA title, they celebrated together.Now with the 39-year-old White bound for Vanderbilt and the 37-year-old Catchings eager to trade the hot and cold tub treatments for a little travel and some extra rest, the two players Krauskopf put in place all those years ago are ready to say goodbye together.Ive noticed her (Catchings) this year, just watching as much as she can, taking it all in. Im trying to do it, too, because I keep thinking this will be so odd next year, Krauskopf said. Tamika is the cornerstone of this franchise, and Steph has been here off and on from the beginning. This is our teams foundation. Cheap Stars Jerseys . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. Fake Stars Jerseys . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. https://www.cheapstarsonline.com/ . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. GREEN BAY (4-6) at PHILADELPHIA (5-5)Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPNOPENING LINE -- Eagles by 3+RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Green Bay 4-5-1, Philadelphia 5-5SERIES RECORD -- Packers lead 26-16LAST MEETING -- Packers beat Eagles 53-20, Nov. 16, 2014LAST WEEK -- Packers lost to Redskins 42-24, Eagles lost to Seahawks 26-15AP PRO32 RANKING -- Packers No. 24, Eagles No. 13 (tie)PACKERS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (13), RUSH (19), PASS (10)PACKERS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (18), RUSH (6), PASS (23)EAGLES OFFENSE -- OVERALL (19), RUSH (6T), PASS (25)EAGLES DEFENSE -- OVERALL (8), RUSH (19), PASS (9)STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- Packers appear on Monday Night Football for 24th straight season, second-longest streak in league behind Denvers 25-year run. ... Packers are 30-31-1 on Monday nights, Eagles are 33-26. ... Packers have won two in row at Eagles, including 2010 season opener and wild-card playoff game that season. ... Eagles coach Doug Pederson played for Packers from 1996-98 and 2001-04. ... Packers finish three-game road trip. They have lost four games in row. ... Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has nine TDs, two INTs and 104.3 passer rating in last three road gaames. Dallas Stars Shirts. . ... WR Jordy Nelson leads NFL with nine TD catches. Nelson has TD catch in all five road games this season. ... LB Clay Matthews has four sacks in three games vs. Eagles. ... LB Nick Perry leads team with seven sacks. ... RB James Starks has TD receptions in two straight games. ... Eagles are 4-0 at home. Theyve outscored opponents 108-38 at home. ... QB Carson Wentz ranks second among NFL rookies in yards passing (2,339) and TD passes (11). He has five TD passes and two INTs at home. . RB Ryan Mathews has four TDs over last four games. ... Philadelphias red-zone defense is first in NFL in scoring efficiency at 73.3 percent. Eagles allowing 18.6 points per game, fourth best in league. ... Former LB Jeremiah Trotter and veteran play-by-play announcer Merrill Reese will be inducted into Eagles Hall of Fame at halftime. ... Fantasy Tip: Eagles TE Zach Ertz has 20 catches in last three games and one TD.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and -http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '
