Tyrese Haliburton silences critics in another dominant Pacers performance

Tyrese Haliburton and Caitlin Clark have become buddies.

The Indiana Pacers star and Olympian said Monday that he and the WNBA Rookie of the Year from the Indiana Fever have formed a friendship.

Haliburton and his girlfriend Jade Jones sat baseline for many Fever home games this season. Haliburton often also sat near Connor McCaffery, Clark’s boyfriend and a Butler assistant coach who used to work for the Pacers.

“I’ve grown to be pretty close with Caitlin and (Connor),” Haliburton said. “Me, her, him and my girlfriend, Jade, all have a group chat that we talk in pretty often about everything. So it’s been cool to just grow my friendship with her.”

Haliburton said he doesn’t try to impose on Clark.

“Everybody just wants to get more from her, take more from her, get more answers to things, and I don’t want to be that. We’re friends. … If she wants to talk basketball, we’ll talk basketball, and if not, I’m totally fine with that as well. But I think we’ve built a pretty cool friendship, and it’s been really cool to see her grow this last year.”

Both are ascending stars. Haliburton is a two-time NBA All-Star who earned a gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Clark led a huge surge in WNBA interest this year as the Fever returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.