words // Brandon Richard
It's been a long time coming for Indiana hoops, which had been held without a professional championship since the Pacers left the ABA in 1976. The WNBA's Indiana Fever last game it a shot in 2009, when they dropped a 5-game series to Diana Taurasi on the Phoenix Mercury. This time around, they found themselves in a matchup with the defending champion Minnesota Lynx, and the result was a little more to their liking.
With a 2-1 series advantage, the Fever had an opportunity to seal the deal at home. The Lynx came out strong, but a balanced effort helped Indiana maintain an advantage throughout the game. In front of a raucous crowd that included several Pacers players and her former coach at Tennessee Pat Summit, series MVP Tamika Catchings poured in 25 points to lead the Fever to their first WNBA Championship in franchise history with an 87-78 victory in Game 4.
Erin Phillips contributed to the cause with 18 points; Briann January and Shavonte Zellous each scored 15; and Erlana Larkins led all rebounders with 13.
With three Olympic gold medals, an NCAA Championship and WNBA MVP trophy already under her belt, a WNBA Championship is the final piece of a Hall of Fame resume for Catchings.
Check out some shots from the game below and have a look at the kicks that were worn in the final game of the 2012 season in today's WNBA Sneaker Watch.
Briann January - Nike Kobe VII
Devereaux Peters - adidas adiPower Howard 2
Erin Phillips - Under Armour Micro G Torch
Karima Christmas - adidas Rose 773
Katie Douglas - Nike Air Max Hyperaggressor PE
Lindsay Whalen - Nike Lunar HyperdunK PE
Maya Moore - Jordan Super.Fly PE
Monica Wright - Nike Zoom Soldier 6
Seimone Augustus - Nike Lunar Hyperdunk PE
Taj McWilliams-Franklin - adidas Rose 3
Tamika Catchings - Nike Zoom Hyperenforcer PE
Celebration in Naptown.
Finals MVP - Tamika Catchings
WNBA Champions
