INDIANAPOLIS — Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever withdrew from the WNBA All-Star Game after being diagnosed with tendinitis in her left heel on Monday.
Catchings topped fan balloting for Wednesday's game in New York with more than 115,000 votes.
"The fans voted me to play, and it's really too bad I'm not able to," the four-time All-Star said through a team spokesman.
On its Web site, the Fever said Catchings was injured when she collided with All-Star Lauren Jackson of the Storm during Sunday's game in Seattle. Catchings had game-high totals of 20 points and eight rebounds to lead the Fever to a 74-62 victory over the Storm.
"I didn't think it was that bad," Catchings said of her injury. "But I can tell you that it really hurt."
Other All-Stars are ailing, too.
Thus Charlotte's Tangela Smith, Houston's Michelle Snow and Chicago rookie Candice Dupree were selected as replacements.
Smith and Dupree replace Catchings and another East starter, Becky Hammon of the New York Liberty.
Hammon is out with a sprained left ankle suffered during an overtime loss to Phoenix on Sunday.
Snow is a replacement for Comets teammate Tina Thompson on the West squad.
On Saturday, Connecticut's Nykesha Sales (Achilles tendon) withdrew from the event and was replaced by teammate Taj McWilliams-Franklin.
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