Why Tamika Catchings struggled as GM and what’s next for the Indiana Fever

A collective sigh could almost be heard throughout the entire world of the WNBA when the indiana fever made his lottery selection last April. It is true that the draw of the WNBA of 2021 was weak; everyone knew it. However, at least there was still some potential as a good pick at No. 4, Michaela Onyenwere from UCLA, for example, was still available — she would become the league’s 2021 rookie of the year.

But when the Fever chose the West Virginia escort instead, Kysre Gondrezick, a player most projected as a third-round pick, scratched their heads. And unfortunately for Indiana, too many such decisions have piled up as the organization has struggled to find her identity ever since. Tamika Catchings she retired as a player at the end of the 2016 season.

It turns out that the solution was not to hire catches as the team’s vice president of basketball operations and general manager — roles she stepped down from Monday of last week. In her announcement, the Hall of Famer cited a desire to “prioritize my family, my philanthropy, our community, and my other passions.” And that is understandable: basketball has been a constant for catches throughout her adult life, including working as an analyst for women’s college basketball broadcasts.

The reality is also that catches she had to realize it was time for a change for both her and the Fever, who have gone 40-116 the past five seasons. Indiana made 12 consecutive playoff appearances between 2005 and 2016, which included the championship. WNBA 2012 and trips to the Finals of the WNBA in 2009 and 2015. catches she was at center as a player during that period, the cornerstone of the organization. But since her retirement, the Fever have not made the playoffs.

Indiana has been mired in the difficulty of staying competitive while developing young players and has been criticized at times for giving older players too much minutes. It has been difficult to identify during the last years what the identity of Fever was, or what exactly they were trying to build. Free agency hasn’t helped much. And also not bringing in a veteran coach (Marianne Stanley) in 2020 after firing another (Pokey Chatman).

In the meantime, gondrezick he played 19 games last season, averaging 1.9 points before taking personal leave. The Fever dispensed with his services in January. Indiana’s 2020 lottery pick, No. 3 Lauren Cox from Baylor, played 14 games for the Fever in 2020 and 11 in 2021 before being released last June and signed by Los Angeles Sparksfor whom he played 15 games.

So the Fever basically came out with nothing from two consecutive lottery picks, even though the first-round picks Kelsey Mitchell (2018), Victoria Vivians (2018) and Teaira McCowan (2019) continue with the team.

Is not that catches did not prepare for his managerial role; she said for years while she played that she hoped to be a general manager when she retired. But just as it’s hard to replace a standout player or coach, the Fever have had to do that with an executive.

Kelly Krauskopf She was the president and general manager of the Fever from the franchise’s launch in 2000 until 2017. When she left to move into the world of the NBA — she is now an assistant general manager of the Indiana Pacers — the Fever lost its architect. . They were huge shoes for Catchings to try to fill with limited experience.

Managerial jobs in professional sports come with a lot of hard work and a lot of questioning. In today’s analytics-driven world, observation, gut instinct, and even good luck are still factors in evaluating talent and building teams. And with the changes in the free agency of the WNBA triggered by the 2020 collective bargaining agreement, managing a franchise in a fixed-salary-cap league like this one has become an even more complex and convoluted business.

An additional twist on the situation catches is that she was the face of the franchise during her playing career, beloved not only in Indiana but throughout the WNBA. The former Tennessee star was selected third overall by the Fever in 2001, a season in which she was unable to play after tearing her ACL in her fourth year.

Before catches that year, Lauren Jackson was selected first for the Seattle Storma selection that made a lot of sense since Jackson, like catches, would become a member of the Hall of Fame. The No. 2 pick in 2001, Kelly Miller, was picked by the former Charlotte Sting. The Sting thought Miller would be a solid player — she averaged 7.1 points in 12 seasons in the WNBA — and chose her instead of waiting a year for a superstar like catches. (The Sting closed in 2007).

As a player, many parallels are drawn between catches and Michael Jordan, in terms of their intense and fierce competition, their respective success at every level, and even the fact that they were both No. 3 picks in years when the No. 1 pick was understandable (Hakeem OlajuwonHouston Rockets, in Jordan’s case) while lamenting the No. 2 pick (Sam BowiePortland Trail Blazers).

Yet another similarity between Jordan and catches it is the difficulty of finding the same success as managers that they had as players. Magic Johnson is another great historical player who found that transition difficult. He abruptly resigned as the Los Angeles Lakers’ president of basketball operations in April 2019, telling reporters, “I want to go back to having fun. I want to go back to who I was before I took this job.”

#FeverBeliever Change is never easy, but it’s always necessary for growth. I will be taking a step back from my current role as General Manager. Thank YOU Herb Simon and the Simon family, Jim Morris, Rick Fuson, Kelly Krauspkof and others at PS&E for believing in me! #Blessed pic.twitter.com/vWPfCVbr5P

— Tamika Catchings (@Catchin24) February 14, 2022

Maybe catches sits a bit that way. She really she never had a misstep as a player. The only thing that slowed down the 2012 MVP, five-time Defensive Player of the Year WNBA and four-time Olympian, it was an injury. Even then, she successfully fought back from Achilles tendon and ACL tears.

Success as a manager can be elusive for anyone, including former players so used to controlling their own destiny on the pitch. catches he’s only 42 years old, and he may find — after he has a chance to assess and recharge his batteries — that he wants to re-enter the same kind of managerial role he’s leaving now. Or she could go in other directions. Its importance for WNBA and for Indiana it does not decrease.

Indiana now turns to former Fever coach, Lin Dunn, as interim general manager. At 74, Dunn has more than 50 years of experience in coaching and evaluating talent, including coaching/general manager of the Seattle Storm and coach of the Fever champion team. Indiana has picks Nos. 2, 7 and 10 in the first round of the draft in April.

But for now, this move seems better for catches and the Fever, who hope to start gaining ground again in the WNBA.