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Indiana Fever retires star Catchings’ jersey

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A historic evening just wrapped up at Bankers Life Fieldhouse as the top player in Fever franchise history, joins the all-time basketball greats here in Indianapolis.

No show was going to be big enough to honor Tamika Catchings on Saturday night. After 16 seasons of stardom, the Fever gave Catchings their best shot.

Fans were there, proud to see the moment up close:

Number 24 is officially in the rafters at the Fieldhouse, and good luck finding a dry eye in this video.

Catchings is the first player in franchise history to have her number retired. She was overcome by emotion at the event.

Her record precedes her: 12 All-WNBA teams, 10 All-Star appearances, 2011 League MVP, followed up by the magical 2012 season. She led the Fever to their only title in league history, taking the Finals MVP that evening.

At her jersey retirement, she was the MVP one more time.

Here’s what Catchings had to say:

Honestly I woke up this morning and tried to think about what I wanted to say. Being able to stay here and being able to leave a legacy here, in Indiana, I never would have dreamed of this as a seventh grade little girl. Never would have dreamed that the WNBA would start my freshman year in college and that I would have the opportunity to play in a league designed just for me.”

24-Hour News 8 Sports Director Anthony Calhoun was at the event and tweeted the following memory from their past:

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