INDIANAPOLIS (AP) 鈥� Caitlin Clark is doubly disappointed about how the are going right now.
One, the .
Two, Clark can鈥檛 be there for Game 6.
Clark and the Indiana Fever have a good reason for why they won鈥檛 be at the Pacers鈥� last home game of the season on Thursday, when Indiana 鈥� which will be either up 3-2 or down 3-2 to the Oklahoma City Thunder by then, depending how Game 5 on Monday goes 鈥� plays host to Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
The Fever will be at Golden State that night, playing the expansion Valkyries.
鈥淚 was hoping they'd win it in five,鈥� Clark said.
That can't happen now. But somehow, some way, the Fever will be paying some sort of attention to what鈥檚 going on at home Thursday night. The Pacers and Fever aren鈥檛 just neighbors. They鈥檙e basically basketball family. They have the same ownership, play their games in the same building, cross paths with the other all the time.
And they rave about one another, with players from one team almost always cheering on the other.
鈥淚 think young kids, if you watch basketball, you turn on and watch the Pacers,鈥� Clark said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unselfish. They play for each other. They play fast. They play up-tempo. They do things the right way. Whether you鈥檙e a starter or whether you鈥檙e coming off the bench, you鈥檙e giving everything you can to your team. It鈥檚 really fun to watch.鈥�
Much has been made of how this is a in basketball-mad Indianapolis, and the Pacers and Fever are both reveling in it.
The Pacers played host to the 2024 NBA All-Star Game and went to the Eastern Conference finals last season. The Fever flipped how many people think about the WNBA last season in Clark鈥檚 rookie year, with swarms flocking to their games 鈥� home and away 鈥� to see the former Iowa star play. There鈥檚 the NBA Finals going on now. The WNBA All-Star Game is coming to Indy this summer, and it鈥檚 not hard to envision Clark and the Fever making a deep playoff run of their own this year.
鈥淪he鈥檚 an incredible player, someone that I have a ton of respect for, also a good person,鈥� Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been following her career, especially when she got drafted by the Fever. We all are happy to have her in Indy. It鈥檚 been fun to watch.鈥�
Clark and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton are close friends, and that鈥檚 just one of the many real and deep ties between the franchises. It鈥檚 not a big deal to see Pacers players at Fever games; it always happens. It鈥檚 not a big deal to see Fever players at Pacers games; they鈥檙e always there, too.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing watching the Pacers,鈥� Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e so much fun to watch. I think we resemble their team quite a bit in the way we move the ball and the way we鈥檙e trying to play.鈥�
Fever coach Stephanie White played her high school and college basketball in the state of Indiana, then spent the bulk of her WNBA playing career with the Fever. Nobody needs to explain to her what the game means in the state.
鈥淚 was here the last time the Pacers were in the finals, back in 2000,鈥� White said. 鈥淚 remember being in the building and just feeling all that energy. It鈥檚 exciting. There鈥檚 no better place, the epicenter of basketball in Indiana and Indianapolis.鈥�
She sees some parallels between how the Pacers built a contender and how the Fever are trying to become one again.
鈥淭he way that they鈥檝e built and rebuilt with the roster, the patience that they鈥檝e shown in the roster and in roster movement, the adversity that they faced early in the year,鈥� White said. 鈥淭hey were this fast, exciting offensive team a year ago to being a solid defensive team that has won regular-season games and playoff games for them when the offense wasn鈥檛 really flowing.鈥�
Soon, the Fever will be the only game in town again. The NBA season is nearly over. There are either two or three games left. And then, the Pacers will take their seats in the crowd to watch the Fever for the next few weeks.
Clark made it clear: The teams really do get a benefit from being around the other.
鈥淢ore than anything they鈥檙e just really good people,鈥� Clark said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e good guys. So, I鈥檝e been really fortunate to be here during this time.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
