Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever teammates have been strong supporters of the Indiana Pacers.
From her near-perfect record at Pacers playoff games, to sporting gear on walk-ins to Fever games, Clark and Co. were the tune-up for Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Before the 3 p.m. Fever game at the Las Vegas Aces, Clark was asked once more about the Pacers.
“Super excited, and I feel good about it,” Clark said, “and I thought they were tremendous in Game 6 and now it’s a winners-take-all kinda game. So, no matter which way it goes tonight, the type of season they’ve had has been absolutely incredible and you have to appreciate that. And just super fortunate that I get to be in Indianapolis during this time. And we’re going to be cheering for them really hard.”
The Fever’s support is reminiscent of when the Pacers played in the finals a quarter-century ago. And Fever coach Stephanie White was one of those Fever players then.
White made a name for herself playing basketball in Indiana. After a great high school career at Seeger, she was the leading scorer on Purdue women’s basketball’s 1998-99 national championship team. She clearly remembered the Pacers’ run to the 2000 NBA Finals.
“It’s huge,” White said. “The last time the Pacers were in the Finals in 2000, I was in the stands, I was a player for the Fever. And now they get an opportunity to again play for a championship in a historic Game 7. It’s huge. I’m so incredibly proud of the organization, management for building the franchise the right way, thankful to the Simon family for their continued support, belief in both franchises.
“It’s a big day. Indiana, as everyone knows, loves basketball. We’re born and bred to shoot it through that round hoop. And so for everybody that gets to watch, we get to be the appetizer and the big show later tonight.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: ‘I feel good’: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever talk Pacers, ‘appetizer’ for NBA Finals Game 7
Reporting by Aaron Ferguson and Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
