Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark says she hopes the Pacers beat the Bucks in 2024 NBA playoffs
Celebrities always show up for the NBA playoffs. Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love previously said he plans to be at the Milwaukee Bucks' playoff games at Fiserv Forum this season.
The Bucks' opponent in the first round, the Indiana Pacers, have quite the celeb fan of their own: Caitlin Clark.
It doesn't get any bigger these days than Clark, the basketball superstar selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever on Monday after a historic college career at Iowa.
Clark, who also appeared on "Saturday Night Live" last week, days after leading Iowa to a second straight national championship game, said she was a fan of the team long before she was picked by the Fever, which makes its home in Indianapolis.
"I’ve watched the Pacers very closely," Clark said Wednesday at her introductory press conference. "My boyfriend works for the Pacers so I’ve become quite a fan."
The Bucks open the NBA playoffs against the Pacers on Sunday at Fiserv Forum. Game 2 is Tuesday in Milwaukee before the series shifts to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4 on Friday, April 26, and Sunday, April 28.
Don't be surprised if we see Clark courtside for those games.
"It’s been a lot of fun to watch," Clark said. "And I hope they beat the Bucks."
Caitlin Clark on Tyrese Haliburton
Clark also said it's been fun to watch Pacers' All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, an Oshkosh native, this year.
"Tyrese is incredible," Clark said.
Clark praised Haliburton's passing ability, which she said is also an underrated part of her game. She noted that it's "incredible what he can do" and felt coach Rick Carlisle is getting the most out of this team.
But she didn't let the moment pass to throw a little shade at Haliburton's college team, Iowa State.
"Obviously, he played for a very terrible team in college," Clark joked about Iowa's cross-state rival, a comment that drew a lot of laughs at the press conference. "It’s nice to be in the same city now."
Haliburton, who won a state championship at Oshkosh North in 2018, will also represent the country at the highest level. He was one of 11 players named to the Team USA basketball team for the 2024 Olympics. Clark could join him in Paris on the women's national team.
"Just want to congratulate him being named to the USA National Team today is pretty special," Clark said. "It’s really a hard accomplishment (to achieve)."
Tyrese Haliburton on Caitlin Clark
Haliburton also recognizes the moment that having Clark in Indianapolis represents, while referencing the Iowa connection.
"I'm excited for her to be here," Haliburton said via the IndyStar this week. "I think it brings a lot of excitement to the city. A city with a lot of young talent already and adding her. She's one of the faces of women's basketball. For her to be here under the same roof is really exciting for me. I think a lot of people in our organization look forward to watching her grow throughout the process, watching her get better. Looking forward to being able to actually cheer for her now that she's with the good guys."