Caitlin Clark on Indiana Pacers game (Photo By Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)
Indiana basketball fans have long believed in momentum. Right now, it feels like Caitlin Clark brought a whole truckload of it to the Hoosier State. Since Clark touched down in Indianapolis as the top pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, basketball fortunes across the city have shifted, starting with the Fever, but now unmistakably rubbing off on the Pacers too.

Clark has turned Gainbridge Fieldhouse into the most electric basketball arena in the country. With her leading the Fever and often courtside for Pacers games, Indiana’s hoops scene hasn’t seen this much buzz in decades. The numbers back it up.

According to Yahoo Sports, the Pacers are a perfect 8-0 in the 2025 NBA Playoffs when Clark is in the building. That streak includes their latest win, a Game 3 NBA Finals win over the Thunder, where Tyrese Haliburton dropped 22 points, matching Clark’s jersey number.

Clark’s Influence Beyond The Court

Indiana Fever Guard Caitlin Clark at Pacers gameIndiana Fever Guard Caitlin Clark (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)

Clark isn’t just generating headlines on the court. According to finance professor Ryan Brewer, she’s driving what could be a $1 billion revenue season for the WNBA. She accounted for 26.5% of the league’s economic activity in 2024, with massive boosts in ticket sales, merchandise, and TV viewership. The Fever is making millions. So is the league. But it’s her off-court presence that’s now creating waves for the Pacers.

 

Each time Clark shows up at a Pacers game, something shifts. The team plays looser, the crowd grows louder, and the energy in Gainbridge hits a different gear. Fans have started to see her as a good luck charm. The Pacers haven’t lost a playoff game with her in the stands. That’s not superstition anymore, that’s a pattern.

Indiana’s run to its first NBA Finals since 2000 has already included dominant wins over the Bucks, Cavaliers, and Knicks. The last time the Pacers beat the Knicks in the playoffs was also back in 2000. Clark wasn’t around then. But this time, with her courtside and the city buzzing, the Pacers look like they believe anything is possible. And so does everyone watching.

Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his illegal hit to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the ensuing brawl between the teams in a lengthy statement on social media.  

Al-Shaair’s statement comes as his three-game suspension as a result of the incident has ended and he is slated to return to the field for the Texans on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

On December 1, an Al-Shaair hit to the head of a sliding and defenseless Lawrence caused chaos in Jacksonville. The defensive back needed to be restrained by several coaches and Lawrence has not played since taking the barbaric contact.

‘While so many jumped at the first opportunity to hop on the false narrative – that l’m a dirty player or bad person – the messages from all who stood by me were the only things keeping me mentally afloat during a time of isolation,’ Al-Shaair said on social media.

‘I’ve learned so much from this entire experience. Seeing myself on video – letting my emotions get the best of me to the point where I completely lost it – was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me.’

‘I’ve had to earn everything in my life. I never want to allow anyone to get me to a point where I jeopardize everything that I’ve worked all my life to obtain. That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from that moment.’

Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence
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Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence

The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence
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The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence

Al-Shaair said during his three-game ban, he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives for the first time, taking issue with how he was characterized in the official announcement of his suspension.

The defender said he thought his character and integrity were ‘unjustifiably smeared’ in the release but the meeting with Goodell and others was ‘productive’ and gave him hope it would not happen again.

‘In that conversation – man-to-man – I owned and acknowledged that my actions following my ejection were careless and, in that moment, I didn’t think about the responsibility I have been blessed with to represent the shield,’ Al-Shaair continued.

‘I also stated that the letter, and specifically the language used in the letter, was equally as careless and conveyed that the context of the words used were not a reflection of my character, nor my career, as I have not been warned multiple times for my play on the field.’

Al-Shaair’s hit on Lawrence was not the only controversial incident he was involved in this season.

During the Texans’ game against the Bears in September, he punched Roschon Johnson, who wasn’t even in the game at the time of another sideline confrontation.

Al-Shaair ended his statement by saying his view is that everyone in the league office and on the field are on the same team to represent the NFL in the best nature possible, something he failed to do earlier this month.

‘Lastly, I’ll say that this world is full of negative people who can’t wait to tear you down, but if you move with love and compassion, the seeds of good you planted in others’ lives can grow into the very tree that shades you with comfort and compassion when you need it most,’ Al-Shaair concluded.

‘I am a man of God, I am a leader, a warrior and a lover. I am also a hell of a football player and I’m grateful to be back doing what I love.’