San Antonio spoils debut of Tamika Catchings

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Ann Wauters had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and the San Antonio Silver Stars beat the Indiana Fever 70-60 to spoil Tamika Catchings’ season debut Sunday night.

Sophia Young scored 18 points and Vickie Johnson added nine points and 10 rebounds for the Silver Stars (6-4), who won their third straight and defeated Indiana for the second time in five days.

Katie Douglas scored 17 and Ebony Hoffman added 10 points and 10 rebounds for Indiana (5-4).

Catchings, who tore her right Achilles’ tendon in last year’s Eastern Conference finals and underwent surgery in September, made her season debut for the Fever. She played 12 minutes in a reserve role and finished with two points and one rebound.

Catchings, a five-time WNBA All-Star and two-time league defensive player of the year, began practicing at near full-strength about two weeks ago but had not been activated to the roster until Sunday.

San Antonio, which saw its lead cut to 49-48 on Catchings’ layup to end the third quarter, took its biggest advantage of the game, 61-51, following Wauters’ 3-pointer and Ruth Riley’s jumper with 5 minutes left.

The Fever got within 64-60 on Douglas’ two free throws with 46 seconds left, but Young’s jumper and Wauters’ two free throws sealed the victory.

The Silver Stars and Fever were tied 27-27 at halftime after eight ties and seven lead changes. San Antonio’s biggest advantage was four points, and Indiana’s was two.

Fever center Tammy Sutton-Brown missed the game with right Achilles’ tendinitis.