The Day in the WNBA: June 13, 2006
By Stefan Swiat


Scoreboard | Have You Seen her? Tamika Catchings: Play | The Day in the WNBA Archive


The Fever moved to 7-1 with Tamika Catchings in the lineup.
Ray Amati/NBAE/Getty Images


Catchings
GAME OF THE NIGHT
Indiana's Tamika Catchings wanted to prove that her selection to the WNBA All-Decade Team wasn't an aberration on Tuesday. But it wasn't easy, as the Liberty raced out to a 20-8 first-quarter advantage over the visiting Fever. The tables would turn in the third period as Catchings caught fire, scoring 12 of her game-high 30 points as Indiana outscored New York by nine in the quarter. The two teams went back-and-forth for the rest of the contest and into overtime, where the Liberty's Becky Hammon scored two of her 18 points on a running jumper with 15.4 seconds left to put New York up one. Catchings responded by nailing a foul shot with 15.3 seconds left, and then after taking possession after the make, ran out the clock before swishing a 17-foot dagger with 0.1 seconds remaining to seal an 80-78 road victory.

ALSO MAKING HEADLINES ...
WNBA All-Decade Team: The WNBA announced its All-Decade Team on Tuesday, naming its 10 best players from the league's first 10 years of action. Some of the players named were Yolanda Griffith, Dawn Staley and Sue Bird.

Home Sweet Home: The Washington Mystics improved to a perfect 5-0 at home on Tuesday with an 87-70 home win over the Sting. The Mystics tied a WNBA record with 33 fourth-quarter points.


Melvin

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"That's usually how we start on the road. We weren't trying to bring that here."

--The Mystics' Chasity Melvin said after her team's slow start and struggles on the road this season.


Taurasi


WHO'S HOT
Diana Taurasi, PHO: 32 pts, 12-21 FG, 7-12 3-PT

Tamika Catchings, IND: 30 pts, 10-19 FG, 3-5 3-PT

Lisa Leslie, LAS: 26 pts, 11-15 FG

DeForge


WHO'S NOT
Anna DeForge, IND: 1-9 FG
0-2 3-PT, 2 pts

Kamila Vodichkova, PHO: 3-14 FG, 10 pts

Tamika Whitmore, IND: 2-10 FG, 10 pts


Pondexter
ROOKIE WATCH
Although Cappie Pondexter's Phoenix Mercury dropped a 98-84 road decision to the Sparks on Tuesday, Pondexter continued to shine bright in her inaugural season. Pondexter came into the matchup as the leading scorer in the league at 23.7 ppg., and added 20 more points to go along with her six rebounds.

Leslie
FILLING THE BOXSCORE
Recently named to the WNBA All-Decade Team, 10-year veteran Lisa Leslie of Los Angeles showed no signs of slowing down on Tuesday. To the dismay of the Mercury, Leslie was all over the floor, collecting 26 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three rejections in a 98-84 home win.