On Sunday, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever were down south to take on the Dallas Wings. It was a big game for the Fever because they had a chance to get over .500 — and they’re currently in a very tight playoff race.
Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was on the sidelines to watch the game. The Pacers head coach was the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks for over a decade, so he has many ties to the Dallas area. He has commented on Clark’s play before.
“What she does, what she’s done is absolutely phenomenal,” Carlisle said of Clark when she was still playing in the NCAA. The Pacers coach was impressed with her 40-foot field goal at the time.
“For the city of Indianapolis, you have Tyrese [Haliburton]…you have Caitlin Clark…It’s an exciting time,” Carlisle said a few months later after the Fever drafted Clark. sitting on the edge of the field with Pacers assistant Jim Boylen for the Fever’s home opener.
This time, the Fever were on the road, but Carlisle still stopped by. He wore a University of Virginia cap and was seen on Bally Sports Indiana’s broadcast of the game.
Coach Carlisle is here today @IndianaFever match in Dallas 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ObTnyTlhPb
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) September 1, 2024
Clark was terrific again, finishing with 28 points and 12 assists in a 100-93 victory. Two other guards were also excellent and set the tone for an exciting game: Kelsey Mitchell scored 35 points for the Fever and Arike Ogunbowale had 34 for the Wings.
The win improved Indiana to 17-16. They’re above .500 for the first time in a while – they could clinch a playoff spot as early as this week. The Carlisle Pacers, meanwhile, will begin training camp in a few weeks.