INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The city of Indianapolis has no shortage of basketball stars. 

The Indiana Pacers of course have guard Tyrese Haliburton, along with guys like forward Pascal Siakam and center Myles Turner, among others. 

Meanwhile, the Indiana Fever has guards Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, along with forward Aliyah Boston, among others. 

What has been really neat to see is the support that each of the franchises give to each other. 

For instance, you see Fever players at Pacers games, and you see Pacers players at Fever games. In fact, this past summer, Haliburton was a familiar face courtside during Fever games cheering on Indiana’s WNBA franchise. 

Haliburton said during Pacers Media Day that he’s gone to “a ton” of Fever games even before this season. But even he’d be the first to say that the 2024 Fever season was a memorable one. 

“To see kind of the explosion of women’s basketball and for a big piece of that being the Fever, and that being right in my backyard, I think was really cool to see,” Haliburton said.

While at the games, fans got to see a first-hand look at the friendship that has blossomed between the two faces of the franchises – Haliburton and Clark. 

Haliburton said that he’s grown close with Connor McCaffery, who is Clark’s boyfriend, during McCaffery’s tenure as the Pacers’ basketball development coordinator. He’s also grown close with Clark as well. 

“Me, her (Clark), him (McCaffery) and my girlfriend, Jade, all have a group chat that we talk in pretty often about everything,” Haliburton said. “It’s been pretty cool to grow a friendship with her.”

Clark is arguably one of the most popular athletes in the United States, if not worldwide. Haliburton even referenced the fact that so many people are constantly following what Clark is up to or just wanting to get Clark’s thoughts on topics.

“We’re friends, and I think that that’s a cool part,” Haliburton said. “If she wants to talk basketball, we’ll talk basketball. If not, I’m totally fine with that as well. But I think we’ve grown a pretty cool friendship, alongside Connor.”

Clark, who was recently named the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, helped lead the Fever to the postseason. It was the team’s first trip to the playoffs since 2016. 

“It’s been really cool to see her growth this last year,” Haliburton said. “And the Fever as a whole. To see Kelsey (Mitchell) get some playoff experience and just the whole group – Aliyah (Boston) – the whole group. Just really cool to follow the team.”

The Pacers wrap up their preseason schedule on Thursday when they host the Charlotte Hornets at 7 p.m. EDT inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse.