!"#$!"%&'()*"!+ MEDIA INFO
No. 32 Daedra Charles Center • 1988-91 • Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
OUTLOOK COACHES
When Tennessee hosted the SEC-Big 10 Challenge in Dec. 28, 1991, Daedra Charles became the next Lady Vol to have her jersey retired. Charles returned to Knoxville from Como, Italy, where she was playing professional basketball with former Lady Vol teammate Bridgette Gordon. Charles came to surprise Lady Vol head coach Pat Summitt by announcing the endowment of the Pat Head Summitt Scholarship, presented by Charles, Gordon and another former Lady Vol, Lisa McGill Reagan. Summitt, who was unaware of the endowment, had planned the retirement ceremony as a surprise for Charles. A two-time Kodak All-American at Tennessee, Daedra was the 1991 SEC Woman Athlete of the Year. She became the first player from the SEC to win the Wade Trophy, the highest honor in women’s basketball. All this came after leading Tennessee to its third NCAA title in five years. She finished her career seventh on the UT scoring list (1495), sixth in rebounding (858) and second in shots blocked (95), despite missing her freshman season as a Prop 48 student. Still, Daedra graduated in four years, earning a bachelor’s degree in child and family studies.
LADY VOLS OPPONENTS
No. 23 Chamique Holdsclaw
REVIEW
Forward • 1995-99 • Hometown: Astoria, New York
FACILITIES
During halftime of the Lady Vols’ 92-88 home triumph over archrival Connecticut on Feb. 1, 2001, the collegiate career of arguably the greatest women’s player to ever play the game was officially closed when Chamique Holdsclaw became just the fourth Lady Vol to have her jersey retired. The Naismith Player of the Century and one of only six four-time Kodak AllAmericans in the history of women’s basketball, Holdsclaw led the Orange and White to a 131-17 overall record and an unprecedented three consecutive national championships from 1996-98, while establishing herself as the program’s all-time leader in scoring (3,025 points) and rebounding (1,295). The NCAA Tournament’s most outstanding player in 1997 and 1998, Holdsclaw still holds the record for points (479 points, 21.8 ppg) and rebounds (198 rebounds, 9.0 rpg) accumulated in tournament games. The first two-time winner of the Associated Press Player of the Year Award, Holdsclaw garnered 34 individual awards during her career, including 21 player of the year honors from a variety of organizations. In 2006, Holdsclaw was named to the NCAA 25th Anniversary Team. She was previously named to the Kodak 25th Anniversary Team in 1999.
THE NCAA THE SEC HISTORY
No. 24 Tamika Catchings
RECORDS
Forward • 1997-2001 • Hometown: Duncanville, Texas
UNIVERSITY
The fifth Lady Vol jersey to be retired belonged to Tamika Catchings in a halftime ceremony on Dec. 7, 2003, against Louisiana Tech. From the moment she stepped on the court in the number 24 orange and white jersey, we knew from her contagious smile that she was a special person, and from her deadly baseline-tobaseline hustling for all 40 minutes, a truly phenomenal player. This special six-foot, one-inch forward had the heart of a champion and could play anywhere on the court. Her UT career was shortened during her senior year when she went crashing to the floor with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in game 17 versus Mississippi State. Her list of awards was staggering, as she captured a slew of them while being tabbed as UT’s second four-time Kodak All-American. What she accomplished in the span of her collegiate career is the stuff of legend. She played in 127 games as a Lady Vol. Her assault on the record books is legendary for both scoring, with 2,113 points, and rebounding, 1,004 boards. Both marks rank her third all-time. She also finished her career second all-time in steals with 311 and blocked shots with 136. And remember, she missed half of her senior season. Her teammates will tell you how special it was to earn a blue adidas headband after Catchings went out with the injury. Earning one meant they hustled like “Catch” would have. The Eleanor Roosevelt League for the Hard of Hearing honored her in 1998 – as a special role model for youngsters and adults with hearing impairments. Her UT academic counselors will relate stories about Catchings graduating ahead of her class in December 2000. People in the Knoxville community will tell you of the countless hours she put in with youths from all walks of life – from playgrounds to hospitals.
An WNBA All-Star for the Indiana Fever, Catchings added to her collection of accolades in the Summer of 2004 with a gold medal as a member of the USA Women’s Basketball Team at the Athens Olympic Games and in 2008 at the Beijing Olympic Games. This past season she was named the 2011 WNBA MVP.
UTLADYVOLS.COM
121