WNBA Catchings is the face of Indiana Fever

Tamika Catchings has become a one-woman advertisement for the team.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Little girls and die-hard WNBA fans aren't the only ones looking up to Tamika Catchings. The Indiana Fever player tilts her neck each time she passes an eye-catching billboard outside Conseco Fieldhouse.
"It's crazy," Catchings said. "I look up and say, 'Who's that girl?' It's a good feeling."
Girls wear her No. 24 jersey while basketball junkies and casual fans know her name. She is the face of the Fever, a one-woman advertisement whose likeness adorns everything from ticket brochures to newspaper ads to a banner hanging in Conseco's entrance that asks, "Got Tickets?"
"I'm trying to reach out to as many kids as I can," she said. "If you can make an impact on the kids, they're going to want to drag their parents to a game."
The pitch-woman
Catchings is the pitch-woman for a team finding its way in Indy's crowded sports market, and she's already accomplished something much harder than winning a championship in the often-ignored WNBA -- she's created a buzz.
"That's the one thing you have to do in this league," coach Nell Fortner said. "She's done that here in Indiana."
Fans took an immediate liking to Catchings, the rookie of the year in 2002 who is considered one of the WNBA's best all-around players. She's personable and plays hard. Schools ask her to give motivational speeches, she runs a basketball camp and rarely turns down an interview request or a promotional appearance.
"She's a very marketable figure on and off the court," said Kelly Krauskopf, the chief operating officer for the Fever.
Acts as catalyst
While many athletes shy away from fan interaction, Catchings willingly puts herself in a position to help the franchise and the league grow. She doesn't want Indianapolis to suffer the same problems that the WNBA has had with four franchises that were shut down or moved.
"I love being in the visible eye for our team and the organization," she said. "I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure this team doesn't fold and stay in Indiana."
She's a feel-good story in a league still trying to find its place among second-tier sports.
WNBA general managers voted her the league's most intense player and the player they most enjoy watching. Last year, she won the WNBA Community Assist Award for her outreach efforts, visiting more than 20 Indianapolis public schools.
"We like to think of Tamika as our Michael [Jordan]," Krauskopf said. "Michael was drafted third by the way. We like to make that analogy."