CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — One of the greatest players in Illinois women’s basketball history has officially been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Former Fighting Illini Tauja Catchings was inducted into the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. Catchings played at Illinois from 1997 to 2000 and is one of the best all-around players in program history.
She helped Illinois win the 1997 Big Ten title as a freshman before earning Second-Team All-Big Ten honors in 1998 and 1999. As a senior,
Catchings earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors, was named the Fighting Illini’s MVP and received the Dike Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year Award.
Catchings finished her Illinois career with 1,502 points, 825 rebounds, 342 assists and 211 steals. She also earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in both 1999 and 2000 before becoming the first professional women’s basketball player from Illinois when the Phoenix Mercury selected her in the third round of the 2000 WNBA Draft.
Catchings is one of eight members of the 2026 Hall of Fame class, joining Ayo Dosunmu, James Augustine, Howard Griffith, Brandon Lloyd, Jordyn Poulter, Ella Masar and D.A. Points. More than two decades after her final game in Champaign, Catchings’ place in Illinois women’s basketball history is now solidified with her Hall of Fame induction.
