Two weeks before the start of NBA training camp, the Pacers players have arrived in Nashville for a players-only mini-camp.

It’s a tradition they started recently and have continued over the last few years.

Tyrese Haliburton and former Pacers guard Bruce Brown got it started back in 2023. Haliburton had never been to Nashville and now they have several players with ties to the area.

Which helps in many ways, including gym access.

Aaron Nesmith played at Vanderbilt (2018-20) and Ben Sheppard at Belmont (2019-23). Nashville is a fun city — and this is the turning point for their offseason.

It’s go time.

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Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and the U.S. women’s national team are one win away from a World Cup title.

Team USA advanced to the championship game with a 76-66 semifinal win over Spain on Saturday afternoon, surviving another uneven offensive performance and leaning on defense and free-throw shooting to get through.

Now, France is all that stands between Team USA and a fifth straight World Cup gold medal.

The championship game tips off Sunday at 2 p.m. ET (on TNT/TruTv/HBOMax) — I know, not ideal scheduling it on the first NFL Sunday of the season — after France handled Germany 86-64 in the other semifinal.

This win for Team USA wasn’t particularly pretty.

Both teams were held below 40% shooting and Team USA was just 3 for 18 (16.7%) from range despite being a collection of 12 of the best women’s players in the world. They simply haven’t shot it well from deep in this tournament.

They also recorded more turnovers (15) than assists (13), another sign of how disconnected the offense looked for long stretches. And they needed a jumpstart in both halves to get rolling.

That’s where the second unit has come in.

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And from the Colts:

Tyrese Haliburton’s summer will be remembered most for marrying his college sweetheart, Jade, on August 1.

That was very public. But behind the scenes and (mostly) away from cameras, Haliburton locked in on his training and rehab as he makes his way back from a torn right Achilles. That’s received most of his attention.

The other theme of his offseason for the Pacers’ All-NBA guard? He’s attended sporting events at countless venues.

He went to the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey, participated in WWE at Madison Square Garden, sat courtside for dozens of Fever games, co-hosted a charity softball game at Victory Field, hosted a youth camp back home in Oshkosh, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field before a Brewers-Cubs game, etc.

Next up: Lucas Oil Stadium.

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Haliburton is scheduled to attend the Colts’ season-opening game against the Baltimore Ravens and, even more, be the featured guest to strike the anvil before kickoff. It’s something he’s done before — and is happy to do again.

Haliburton has become a regular at Colts games, often sitting in Pat McAfee’s field-level suite. He had a lot of fun at the season kickoff two years ago, climbing on the wall between the suite and the field, then doing the touchdown dance with more than 60,000 fans.

“I’m very happy that Haliburton didn’t get arrested jumping on that (wall) yesterday,” McAfee joked on his show afterward. “Cops did came over and said ‘We’re gonna act like we didn’t see that.’

“The place did go crazy. Absolutely bananas.

“He’s like a kid, 24 years old. He said, ‘That was so cool to be up there on the jumbotron.’”

When Haliburton was acquired by the Pacers in 2022, he shared on Day 1 that he was a free-agent football fan. Since then, he’s rooted for the Colts, along with the 49ers for his former Iowa State classmate Brock Purdy.

He struck the anvil before the Colts’ home opener in 2022 — and will again on Sunday.

Kickoff is shortly after 1 p.m. on CBS.

One hour after Team USA’s World Cup victory over China Friday morning, the WNBA announced that commissioner Cathy Engelbert is choosing to retire at the end of the year.

Talk about a Friday news dump. And not just any Friday — the one heading into Labor Day weekend.

Engelbert became the league’s first commissioner in 2019 and will leave her post after assisting with the transition to her successor.

“After more than seven years at the WNBA and more than 40 total years in business, I have made the decision to retire as WNBA Commissioner,” she said in a statement.

“I retire knowing we have built something bigger, stronger and more enduring than we could have imagined. I am grateful to the WNBA and NBA team owners and staff, players, investors, fans and the powerhouse league office staff, who believed in what this league could become. I retire with immense gratitude and tremendous optimism for the future of the WNBA, with the best yet to come.”

The league has experienced significant growth during her time leading the league, supercharged by the arrival of Clark in 2024. Since then, it has taken off.

The WNBA expanded from 12 to 15 teams and has plans to add three more by 2030: Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia

“Cathy has presided over the WNBA through the most significant period of growth in the league’s 30-year history,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “We are grateful for Cathy’s leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement of women’s basketball.”

The next commissioner first needs to be able to connect with stakeholders, especially the players. There needs to be a relationship, open dialogue and a mutual respect.

From there, the league needs someone who can lead, has a vision and takes action. The moment is now for the WNBA, and it needs someone with a passion for the game — someone who commands a room and leads with authority.

It’s not an easy job, but the possibilities are intriguing.

Well before Labor Day Weekend officially gets underway, basketball fans were treated to competitive basketball with their morning coffee.

Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and the other 10 members of the U.S. Women’s Senior National Team opened up FIBA World Cup play exactly how you would expect: with depth, balance, and a large margin of victory.

Team USA jumped ahead by 13 points after one and grew its lead to 20 by halftime en route to a comfortable 94-61 victory over China Friday, taking control early and steadily pulling away.

With the tournament being played in Berlin, the game tipped off shortly after 8 a.m. ET so it’s understandable if you were unable to watch. But given Clark’s participation and the interest in the most dominant team in women’s basketball history, all of its games air live on TNT and are being streamed outside a paywall.

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As the Indiana Fever made a push to the FIBA World Cup break, head coach Stephanie White reminded her team to be where your feet are.

Last Friday, the Fever recorded back-to-back wins of at least 20 points by handling the Connecticut Sun by 20 points. They’re 26-14, the most wins in franchise history, and they went into the break on a high note.

Now, as the WNBA hit pause on the season with four games to go, most of the team could finally relax knowing a week of vacation was coming.

White, however, quickly turned the page to her next role — one of three assistant coaches under Kara Lawson for the World Cup in Berlin, along with Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries) and Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury).

Games get underway on Friday — Team USA face China at 8:15 a.m. ET — and White has the first opponent scout.

She had done some prep work, but once her feet were on the plane heading across the Atlantic Ocean, she opened her computer and shifted her attention to Team USA.

Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston headed out the next day, as both players were named to the 12-player roster. They’ve both participated in several USA Basketball camps, but this will be their first time playing in the World Cup.

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Tyrese Haliburton needs a new baseball team to root for.

The Pacers’ All-NBA guard shared last month that he was invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch by both the LA Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.

“I got asked by both, I had to pick one,” he said. “And the Cubs just made more sense.”

So Haliburton will be at Wrigley Field on Thursday, Sept. 3 to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cubs confirmed. It’s the final game of a four-game series.

And you have to think the opponent is no coincidence.

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With the roster settled, the schedule released and Indiana Pacers training camp now less than one month away, one of the biggest remaining questions was where fans would be able to watch local broadcasts.

After Main Street Sports Group, owner of the FanDuel Sports Network, began winding down operations, it was clear that the Pacers would need a new local TV home. And they weren’t alone.

There are 13 NBA teams in the same boat, formerly airing on FanDuel Sports Network and in need of a new local hub for the upcoming season.

After considering their options and having conversations with several interested parties, the Pacers reached agreement with DAZN on a five-year deal that includes an out clause should the NBA bring local TV rights in-house.

The changing regional sports network landscape has been a major source of frustration for fans — and a significant loss of revenue for teams. Local TV rights are typically the largest source of team-generated income.

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For several decades, Pacers fans have been accustomed to watching games on Fox Sports Indiana. Then it was Bally Sports Indiana and, most recently, FanDuel Sports Network Indiana. The names changed, but the RSN remained the same operation through multiple ownership and branding changes. Eventually, the business model became unsustainable.

Starting with the 2026-27 season, DAZN will be the home for all local Pacers broadcasts. That excludes the national-exclusive games on ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock, and Prime.

They are scheduled to appear on national TV 11 times, starting with Oct. 28 with the Philadelphia 76ers in town (ESPN).

For Indiana, announcers Chris Denari and Quinn Buckner will return for their 21st season together. Jeremiah Johnson will handle hosting and sideline reporting duties, and Eddie Gill will provide analysis before and after games.

For DAZN, this season is a year-long audition — an opportunity to show the NBA it can potentially serve as the distributor for local broadcasts across the league if the NBA brings those rights in-house, which is under serious consideration.

Teams like the Magic and Hornets elected to be available on a free, over-the-air local station, but will utilize DAZN for digital distribution.

For more than a year, representatives from DAZN have been in communication with the Pacers and building a relationship. Zander Berlinski, the senior vice president of strategy and business development at DAZN, praised Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines and EVP & CCO Joey Graziano for how seamless this process has gone.

“They’ve been amazing to work with, the rest of the Pacers organization (has been) great to work with,” Berlinski told Fieldhouse Files, appearing on the podcast. “I don’t want to speak specifically for their decision-making process, but what I will say is they ran an extremely comprehensive process, with regards to evaluating all the options.

“I think they very much saw this as their number one priority needs to be their touch points with fans and ensuring they made the right decision, with regards to how fans will be able to sort of access their games. And in consideration of all the options on the table and some of the challenges that they may have had historically, they felt we were the best option to go with. This wasn’t like a decision that they reached quickly or easily or lightly.”

DAZN plans to make 22 regular-season games available for free, outside the paywall. You just have to sign up for an account with a name and email address. Berlinski confirmed that you won’t even need to put a credit card down for those free games.

Of those broadcasts available for free, 15 of them will also be available locally on an over-the-air broadcast. The Pacers know the transition will take time. By making nearly two dozen games free initially, they want fans to experience the platform, become comfortable with it and, ideally, stick around.

They’re also providing season-ticket holders with a free Season Pass to DAZN.

Fans can subscribe monthly ($19.99) or annually ($119.99) — but the best value will be signing up for the Early-Bird Special in the next six weeks. Fans can lock in the entire season for $59.99 by Oct. 15.

DAZN is also offering a free seven-day trial.

Even more, all four Pacers preseason games will be available for the second season in a row. That’s significant because typically, just the two games at home were shown on local TV.

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DAZN (pronounced da-zone) is a British company that has operated globally for years, but is now making a greater push into premium U.S. sports rights, including the NBA. It is best known in the U.S. for its boxing coverage.

“There’s been a top-down strategic initiative to grow and get greater scale in the U.S. to hopefully have our business here in the U.S. look similar to what it looks like internationally,” Berlinski explained.

“We’re the world’s largest sports only streaming service. We operate in 200-plus markets around the world, have had a huge presence internationally, outside the U.S., for a number of years now. We’re the largest sports rights holder in Europe — in places like Spain, Italy, Germany. We have a lot of the domestic leagues from a soccer perspective exclusively. We’re the largest partner for the NFL internationally. We have every single NFL game in every country in the world other than the US and China.

“So we’ve really built up a huge base of platform and (presence) internationally.”

Through that experience, DAZN is confident that fans will be able to enjoy a clean, working, and reliable Pacers broadcast. Berlinski mentioned having a big customer service team so if someone is having issues, a representative will be able to help 24/7. And they have more than 2,000 engineers working on distribution.

“That’s obviously the basis of our platform and our product is to ensure that we have a great streaming experience for fans,” said Berlinski. “We think we have one of, if not the strongest platform for streaming sports in the world. And so we’re pretty confident in having that sort of baseline experience for fans to ensure that the streaming is top-notch.”

So, Who Needs DAZN?

Simply put, if you previously watched Pacers games on FanDuel Sports Network, DAZN is now where you’ll stream them.

The Pacers’ home territory includes parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri — although availability within those states is determined by the NBA’s defined local territory.

They plan to answer that question with a simple landing page where you input your zip code to see if you’re inside the local territory.

If you’re outside of the local territory, your option will be to subscribe to NBA League Pass.

“We have an extremely broad distribution footprint,” Berlinski said. “We’re on every mobile device, every tablet, every type of smart TV, game consoles. We’re integrated into certain set-top boxes like the Xfinity box and Xumo box for Spectrum.

“If fans are used to watching on their big screen, living room TV, they’ll still very much be able to do that. It’s not a matter of having to pull it up on your phone and cast it. We have apps on every major device.”

Berlinski also understands the question about older fans having to figure out how to switch to the DAZN app to watch games. It helps that streaming live sports through apps is no longer foreign to fans, with services like Prime Video and Netflix conditioning fans to find major sports outside the traditional cable ecosystem.

He also says that it won’t auto log you out. So once you sign up and log in, you’re in.

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DAZN will stream games for the Knicks, Nets, Magic, Hornets, Timberwolves, Pacers, Cavaliers, and likely a few more teams. They plan to integrate stats, other scores, news articles, and additional content into the app.

Pacers fans can expect a dedicated experience.

“The app will always open up with the Pacers front and center in front of them,” said Berlinski. “So we think once we get over the hurdle of people having to recognize moving to a new location and just figuring out the awareness of where the games are, that hopefully it should be fairly seamless.”

He said that their priorities are providing fans with a stable platform and user experience while creating a framework that broadens the exposure and accessibility for fans.

There will be growing pains. There always is when making a switch to something new. But there should be confidence in knowing DAZN’s infrastructure is in place, both from a technical and support standpoint, and that they’ve been streaming live sports globally for years.

They just want to do it at a bigger level.

They have a lot riding on it and will want to make a strong impression with team and league officials.

Here’s how Berlinski says DAZN will measure success in Season 1: “I think, number one, ensuring we get our name out there in the Indianapolis market. (That) fans are aware of where to see the games.

“And then on the back of that, providing a great consumer experience from a product point of view, to show why we think watching in our environment is superior. We’ve proven this around the world, and we’re excited to bring it to fans in market.”

The same Pacers broadcast team now has a new home.

It all gets started on Wednesday, Oct. 7 when the Pacers play the Minnesota Timberwolves. Not only is it their first preseason game, but it’s also Tyrese Haliburton’s official return to the court — and at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where he played from 2018-20.

The Pacers’ season opener is Oct. 21 in New Orleans, and you’ll only be able to watch it on the DAZN app.

The Indiana Fever completed a grueling stretch of five games in eight days over the weekend. And following a 113-90 win in Chicago, they enjoyed four days between games leading up to one last matchup before a three-week break for World Cup play.

The Fever head into the World Cup break on a high note after a 111-91 win over the Connecticut Sun (10-29) on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 17,274 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

It was Connecticut’s final visit to Indianapolis in franchise history before the organization relocates to Houston next season, and the Fever eventually turned the night into a rout.

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The Fever started slowly, getting outscored 28-19 in the first quarter to fall behind by nine. And Caitlin Clark took it personally.

You could see it in her eyes — she’d had enough.

Clark made the first bucket in each of the four quarters and had 12 points and five assists in the second period alone. For most players, that would constitute a great game.

But Clark was just getting started.

So was All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell, who scored 15 of her 17 first-half points in the second frame. After having seven turnovers to four made field goals in the opening 10 minutes, the Fever outscored the Sun 39-15 in the quarter to go from down nine after one to up by 15 at the break.

That’s where they seized control of the game and never looked back.

Clark and Mitchell led the way with 34 points apiece, continuing what has become a historic stretch for Indiana’s backcourt. It’s the fourth time they have both scored 30 points or more in the same game, and the second game in a row.

They are the best backcourt duo in league history.

Mitchell also extended her remarkable WNBA-record streak of 24 straight games with at least 20 points. You have to go back more than two months for the last time she did NOT pile up at least 20 in a game.

Mitchell and Clark enter the break ranked second and third, respectively, in scoring among WNBA players.

Clark (34 & 12), meanwhile, posted her fifth game this season with at least 30 points and 10 assists. She’s playing the best basketball of her career — showing great poise, competitive fire, and new moves.

And Makayla Timpson, making her 10th consecutive start, continues to show why the coaching staff made that move. She’s constantly active, getting her arms on the ball, and attacking the basket. Timpson finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Fever have set another single-season record for wins with 26. That’s two more than last season — and there’s still four regular-season games left.

They’re 26-14 and sit fourth in the WNBA standings as the league pauses for the FIBA Women’s World Cup. The 12-player roster includes Clark and Aliyah Boston, and Stephanie White is on the coaching staff.

In my postgame show, I break down the Fever’s explosive second quarter, another huge night from Clark and Mitchell, big contributions from the starters, considerations for the offseason, and where things stand heading into the break.

Those participating in the World Cup head out on Sunday. Everyone else will enjoy some time off before returning to Indy for a few weeks of practice leading into the home stretch.

The Fever resume game action Sept. 18 across the border in Toronto.

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And if you prefer audio form, make sure you are subscribed to the Fever Files Podcast.

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The Indiana Fever are enjoying four days between games, but that couldn’t keep Lexie Hull away from some competitive action.

The Indianapolis Indians, Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, hosted ‘Lexie Hull Night’ at Victory Field on Thursday. She arrived at 5 p.m., walked through the concourse and made her way to the center field plaza.

The gates opened at 5:30 p.m. and two fans told me they arrived by 2 p.m. to be first in line.

Under a navy Indians tent, Hull signed autographs and took photos with fans for more than 45 minutes. She then made her way onto the immaculate grass to visit with team personnel before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at 6:22 p.m. ET.

Just one year ago, Pacers guard T.J. McConnell had the same experience with the Indians.

Hull is no stranger to the ballpark. The Stanford University grad is engaged to Will Matthiessen, who played baseball for the Cardinal. He was a first baseman and, in fact, a 2019 draft selection of the Pirates — taken 184th overall in the sixth round. However, he retired in 2023.

Hull wanted Matthiessen to help get her prepared for the big moment, but they were only able to throw once — late Wednesday.

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The lights were on and fans filled the stadium to see some of their favorite Indy professional athletes in a game uniform.

Only this time, it was a different game uniform.

Pacers All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton led the charge to bring back the celebrity softball challenge that had become a summer staple. Almost two decades ago, Robert Mathis of the Colts and Roy Hibbert of the Pacers co-hosted the annual celebrity game to raise money for the Indiana Children’s Wish Fund.

However, the game did not return in 2019 after Victory Field, home of the Indianapolis Indians, chose to go in a different direction. Haliburton had heard plenty about it — and, as someone who is chronically online, had seen plenty, too. So he made bringing it back one of his top priorities.

It just took a few years.

It’s one of the many things that had been on his radar since signing a max contract extension with the Pacers in July 2023. As he mentioned in his first interview after being acquired by the Sacramento Kings, he “loves hard.” So after he felt the love from the Pacers and city right away, he wanted to do whatever he could to give back.

“My biggest goal as a team is I want to make the playoffs and I want to bring winning basketball back here,” he said.

He accomplished far more than that, eventually helping lead the Pacers to Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.

But Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles in the first quarter and despite the Pacers leading at halftime, the Oklahoma City Thunder came out on top on their home floor.

Then, Haliburton missed the entire season and the team had players miss more than 420 games combined due to injuries. Just 19 wins was a franchise low last season.

While surgery and rehab kept this game from happening in 2025, it gave Haliburton plenty of time to brainstorm ideas. Again, all part of his mission to give back to the community.

“I think it’s as much stuff with kids as possible,” he said in 2023, shortly after signing the largest contract in franchise history. “I think that’s a big area of enjoyment for me and my family, and my girlfriend as well. We just have a lot of fun being around kids. Moving forward, just trying to do more stuff in schools, outdoors with court renovations, we got a lot of stuff that we’re planning right now. I’m just really excited to be as involved as possible.”

Add in the disappointment surrounding the Colts, who started last season 8-2 before losing seven straight to close the year, and fans in Indy were ready for something to cheer about.

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Under the lights at Victory Field, members of the Pacers, Fever, Boom, Colts, Ignite, and more competed in a six-inning charity softball challenge to raise money for the Pacers Foundation.

It revived one of the great summer traditions in Indy for more than a decade — but it had faded away after the 2018 game.

Pacers All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton was determined to bring it back.

So he did.

He captained one team, and Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, who is also coming off a torn Achilles (and his surgery was performed by the same doctor), captained the other. The fact that the Colts, including their top player, were willing to not just show up but participate, while less than two weeks from the start of their season, is admirable.

Pat McAfee emceed the event, along with B-Swfit.

Team Haliburton earned the 28-8 victory in front of more than 9,000 fans in the stands of the Triple-A ballpark, home of the Indianapolis Indians.

Check out 21 photos from the night below.

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The Pacers Foundation is leading a charity softball challenge Monday evening at Victory Field, co-captained by Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton and Colts quarterback Daniel Jones.

Tickets are $10. Fans will be allowed in at 6 p.m. and the game is scheduled to get underway around 7 p.m. (Box office is still selling tickets, I’m told.)

This game is a reimagined version of the event that used to be hosted at Victory Field through 2018.

Then, after a decade-long tradition, the Caroline Symmes Celebrity Softball Challenge suddenly ended when, according to game organizers, Victory Field elected to go in a different direction. The event benefited the Indiana Children’s Wish Fund.

Then COVID-19 happened.

And it hadn’t resumed since.

But it’s something Haliburton has wanted to do for a while now.

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The NBA has a regular, predictable cadence throughout the year.

For instance, June is for wrapping up the current season (Finals) and quickly moving on to next year’s crop of talent (Draft). July is for free agency and Summer league.

And August is for the unveiling of the upcoming season schedule — along with weddings (Haliburton), vacations, plus any final staff additions.

More than anything, it’s the one time of year when everyone in the league tries to break away from the 365-day job.

The NBA officially unveiled the full slate of games for the 2026-27 season. But first, they mirrored the NFL in allowing broadcast partners to announce certain parts of the schedule in the days leading up — like marquee dates such as opening night and Christmas Day.

But as Larry Bird used to say, “41 at home? 41 on the road? Looks all right to me.”

Well, not exactly for the Pacers this season. They have one game in Mexico City, and the league only announced 80 of 82 games; two games will be scheduled later based on NBA Cup performance.

There are many takeaways from this Pacers schedule, but opening night is the most glaring omission — because it is the first one.

A major one.

Here’s what I wrote in a collaborative piece over on :

I know it’s my beat … but I’m stunned that six Eastern Conference teams will appear on national TV opening week — and the Pacers aren’t one of them.

They pushed OKC to Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals and led at halftime despite All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton tearing his Achilles.

What a difference one lost season makes. The league moves on fast. Even more: Haliburton’s return won’t happen in front of Pacers fans, but 800 miles away in New Orleans.

The Pacers, coming off their worst season in NBA franchise history with just 19 wins, will be on the road for four of their first six games — including opening night.

Led by head coach Rick Carlisle, 66, the Pacers have a stable roster and productive results on the court. Last season, due to injuries, was an anomaly.

Here’s Indiana’s win total since Carlisle took over:

• 2021-22: 25

• 2022-23: 35

• 2023-24: 47

• 2024-25: 50

• 2025-26: 19

The group, which returns mostly intact, should be both refreshed (having not played since April 12) and motivated.

Single-game tickets go on sale Wednesday, September 16.

NBA training camps open on Tuesday, Sept. 29, so media day should be held the day before.

As of now, there’s no firm update on the Pacers’ local TV deal. Games will no longer appear on Bally Sports Indiana. That’s over. However, there are multiple ways the team could move forward:

1) local, over-the-air network or 2) a streaming-only option.

This seems to be a one-off season for many teams and their broadcast partners, with the hope that the NBA will bring them all under the same umbrella, then sell those local rights to the same digital distributor — such as YouTube, Amazon, etc.

As I’ve written about, for what seems like a decade, is they must think of local TV as marketing. How can they reach the most fans? How can they take care of the existing ones while ensuring a quality, consistent product? The younger crowd consumes games on their phone, watching clips on social media and highlights on YouTube.

But what if they could get them to attend a game? Then another. And buy merchandise. Then engage with the team regularly.

That’s the big-picture thinking in a sports TV landscape that has significantly changed again and again.

… And now, it’s time for my 15th annual breakdown of the schedule.

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🏀 League-wide Notes

• The NBA is entering its 81st season.

• Opening night will now be a triple-header on NBC: Celtics-Pistons, 76ers-Knicks, and Thunder-Spurs. The first game is at 3 p.m. ET, which is experimental. I like it. And it’s great for overseas fans too.

• FIVE games on Christmas, and still no Pacers appearance for more than two decades: Spurs-Knicks, Heat-Celtics, 76ers-Lakers, Thunder-Timberwolves, Nuggets-Warriors.

• And they’ll continue to fight for screens in home of sports fans. Because the NFL has a triple-header scheduled: Packers-Bears, Bills-Broncos, Rams-Seahawks. The first two are on Netflix, while the third game airs on FOX.

• All-Star Break: Feb. 19-25.

• The NBA is continuing Rivals Week for “classic and budding rivalries” for a fifth straight season, Jan. 26-30. For the Pacers, that’s games against the Bulls, Lakers, and Wizards? Yeah…. no.

• All 30 teams will once again play their final regular-season game on Sunday, April 11. Eastern Conference teams will tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET, while the seven games between Western Conference teams follow at 8:30 p.m. ET.

And here’s your handy guide for where to watch national TV games:

🗓️ Preseason Dates

The first two games were known, and now the full four-game slate is official. Two at home and two on the road. And all wrapped up the week prior to Opening Week.

(Teams line up their exhibition slate, not the NBA.)

1. Wednesday, Oct. 7 v Minnesota Timberwolves (at Iowa State), 7 p.m. ET

2. Saturday, Oct. 10 v Atlanta Hawks, 7 p.m. ET

3. Tuesday, Oct. 13 at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET

4. Friday, Oct. 16 v Milwaukee Bucks, 7 p.m. ET

🏆 In-Season Tournament

Before the regular-season schedule was announced, the NBA first released the NBA Cup schedule to bring attention to it. Cup nights will be held every Friday from Oct. 30 through Nov. 27, along with Nov. 24-25.

The Pacers are in East Group B with the Cavs, Heat, Knicks, and 76ers. All contenders in the Eastern Conference, so it’ll be a grueling matchup each game.

1. Friday, Oct. 30 at Miami Heat, 8 p.m. ET

2. Friday, Nov. 13 vs New York Knicks, 7 p.m. ET | Prime

3. Friday, Nov. 20 at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. ET

4. Friday, Nov. 27 vs Philadelphia 76ers, 7:30 p.m. ET

🇲🇽 Mexico Trip

As announced last April, the Pacers will play the Nuggets in Mexico City on Saturday, Nov. 7 (5 p.m. ET). It’s a Pacers home game, so season-ticket holders will not get to see Nikola Jokic in person this season.

Unlike their trip to Paris, it does not lead to extended time before or after.

They’ll likely leave on Thursday, two days before tip-off, and then head straight to Dallas after the game to play the Mavericks Monday night. That’s a good pit stop on their way home to Indy.

And just 11 games into the new season, their season series with the Mavs will be complete.

🎁 Holiday Games

The Pacers enjoy hosting games Thanksgiving week, and that will continue. But it will be a quiet week. They’ll host OKC for a highly-anticipated game on Nov. 23 — though, oddly not picked up by national TV — and then the 76ers make their second visit on Friday, Nov. 27.

They will not play on Christmas. But they will host their usual matinee on New Year’s Eve, 3 p.m. against the Orlando Magic.

Additionally, the Pacers make their only visit to San Francisco to play the Warriors on Monday, Feb. 15. It’s the final game of NBC’s quadruple header on Presidents’ Day.

There will be no games played on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. So all 30 teams will play the day before. I should also note that they host the Wizards on Veterans Day (Nov. 11).

But nothing on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, or MLK Jr. Day.

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Back-to-backs: 15

That’s two more than last season, and their highest number since coming out of the pandemic. Only four of them come after the All-Star break.

Previous seasons:

2025-26: 13
2024-25: 14
2023-24: 13
2022-23: 14
2021-22: 14
2020-21: 17
2019-20: 9
2018-19: 14
2017-18: 14
2016-17: 17
2015-16: 17
2014-15: 17

📺 National TV Games: 11

Remember, more TV networks so this is a higher number than usual. But still less than I expected given the high expectations for this team being fully healthy.

Five on Peacock, four on Prime, one on ESPN, and one on NBC.

They were scheduled for nine before last season, but were flexed out six times.

Previous seasons:

2025-26: 9
2024-25: 9
2023-24: 1
2022-23: 1
2021-22: 1
2020-21: 3
2019-20: 6
2018-19: 12
2017-18: 1
2016-17: 11
2015-16: 7
2014-15: 5

From last season:

✈️ Road Trips: Five

The Pacers came out well here. The long trip over Christmas is definitely among the top things those in the traveling party took note of right away.

It’s at least a nine-day trip, over Christmas, and with the dreaded Salt Lake City and Denver back-to-back. Especially to close the trip. And then they play at home just two nights later. That’ll be a tough return game against the Clippers.

Five games in eight days — and far away from home during a big family holiday.

The second one is very friendly and makes sense. And the trip out west in February is perfect for guys like Haliburton and Pascal Siakam given that the All-Star game is in Phoenix. They’ll be out there already.

The Pacers close the regular season with five games in 11 days, in five different cities. I went ahead and included the one off home game as part of the trip because it’s quick and might as well be included as part of the trip. That won’t be easy, but they could have their playoff seed locked up.

1. Dec. 20-27: LA (Clippers), LA (Lakers), Suns, Jazz, Nuggets

2. Jan. 17-22: Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit

3. Feb. 15-18: Golden State, Sacramento, Portland

4. Mar. 11-15: Charlotte, Houston, Brooklyn

5. Apr. 4-11: Toronto, Charlotte, Detroit, Indy (v Cleveland), New York

🏠 Longest Homestands: Five

The fourth one is mighty. Nine of 10 games during a three-week stretch are at home. And the lone road game is one of their biggest of the year: Haliburton’s return to OKC, site of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.

It’s good that they get essentially 10 days at home before wrapping up the regular-season slate with a difficult — and potentially critical — five-game stretch.

1. Dec. 13-17: Detroit, Golden State, Portland

2. Dec. 29-Jan. 4: LA (Clippers), Orlando, Minnesota, Chicago

3. Jan. 9-15: Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Phoenix

4. Jan. 26-Feb. 11: Chicago, LA (Lakers), Washington, Miami, Atlanta, (at OKC), New Orleans, Cleveland, Utah, Sacramento

5. Mar. 24-Apr. 1: Memphis, San Antonio, (at Chicago), Boston, Orlando

⭐️ Notable Home Games

• Fri., Oct. 23: Opponent doesn’t really matter. Gainbridge Fieldhouse will go nuts as Haliburton appears in his first home game in 16 months. Surprisingly, this game wasn’t picked up by national TV, just like opening night.

• Wed., Oct. 28: Home Game 2 will be fascinating, an early look at LeBron James & the new look 76ers. It’s their only game scheduled to air on ESPN too.

• Fri., Nov. 13: Jalen Brunson and the reigning champs, the NY Knicks visit. This just might qualify for a rivalry renewed, though the Knicks didn’t have to go through the Pacers last postseason en route to a title.

• Wed., Nov. 18: Kevin Durant and the Rockets visit for the only time this season.

• Mon., Nov. 23: The Thunder visit to begin Thanksgiving week. The Pacers are ready for payback.

• Wed., Dec. 16: Steph Curry’s annual visit and this one is early enough not to worry about rest, injuries or anything else. They normally visit in early spring — and it’s highly questionable. The Warriors will not be on a back-to-back.

• Sat., Jan. 2: Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves. Are they contenders? We will see in the New Year.

• Sat., Jan. 9: The Bucks will be much different than before now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is no longer there. But Myles Turner is — at least for now. They play in Indy twice over a five-game stretch.

• Thu., Jan. 28: The Lakers’ visit is typically one of the most-attended games of the season. No James, sure, but Luka Doncic & Company are always interesting.

• Mon, Feb. 1: The new-look Heat, with Antetokounmpo, will be settled in to what they are by then. Are they for real? And it’ll air on Peacock.

• Wed., Feb. 10: Speaking of whether they are for real or not, the Cavs will visit for a mid-week clash.

• Tue., Mar. 2: It seems odd, but the Pacers won’t host the Celtics until the final stretch of the season. Then they’ll be back on March 30. But again, not on national TV.

• Thu., Mar. 25: Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs with a late-season visit.

• Fri., Apr. 9: The Cavs’ second time through and the final regular-season home game is fan appreciation night.

🐴 Overlapping With Colts

One thing I’ve consistently heard from fans is they do not like Sunday games during the NFL season. Especially Sunday home games. Because of that, I decided to add this new section for the upcoming season.

If you’re also a Colts fan, here’s what you need to know — starting with the Pacers having Colts games scheduled on six of 11 dates.

1. Oct. 25 at Brooklyn, 6 p.m.; Colts are in Minnesota at 1 p.m.

2. Nov. 1 v Brooklyn at 5 p.m.; Colts play in Jacksonville at 1 p.m.

3. Nov. 15 at Philadelphia at 1 p.m.; Colts host Miami at the same time.

4. Dec. 13 v Detroit at 5 p.m.; Colts are in Philly for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

5. Dec. 20 in LA to play the Clippers at 10 p.m.; Colts are in Tennessee earlier in the day, at 1 p.m.

6. Dec. 27 at Denver at 8 p.m.; Colts host Cincinnati, time TBA.

📆 Games by day

Sunday: 11
Monday: 14
Tuesday: 8
Wednesday: 15
Thursday: 12
Friday: 10
Saturday: 10

*Note: Two games will later be added, depending on NBA Cup results.

Full 2026-27 Pacers Schedule

The Fever never trailed and built a lead as large as 17, getting an immediate lift from reliable guard Kelsey Mitchell. The MVP candidate erupted for 16 points in the first quarter as they built up a double-digit lead, and she finished with a game-high 29 to extend her streak of consecutive games with 20 points or more to 20.

Mitchell’s night ended early, however, when she went back to the locker room during the fourth quarter after apparently becoming overheated. The temperature inside the arena was a major storyline, with several players complaining about how excessively hot it was on the floor. That also led to excess condensation.

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Caitlin Clark, another MVP candidate, added 27 points and seven assists, though she also committed seven turnovers. Earlier in the day, Clark was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the fourth time this season, more than any other player.

It was a turnover-filled third quarter that allowed for the undermanned Tempo to get back in the game, later getting to within four points with a minute to play.

Indiana did enough offensively to stay in control throughout, then held off Toronto’s late push to secure another road victory. This the second game of a difficult stretch with five road games in eight days.

For the Tempo, it was an 11th consecutive loss despite the energy from a packed building to see Clark and the Fever’s first-ever appearance across the border. Don’t be surprised if the Fever are scheduled to play overseas next season, even if it’s just in the preseason.

Following the Aces’ loss to the Dream, a game that followed this one, the Fever moved into third place in the league standings. The Fever (24-12) have won 10 of their last 12 games, including five in a row — and they continue to build momentum as this road trip rolls on.

The Fever now head down to Dallas for a featured matchup on Thursday, which will air on Prime Video.

Also of note: Fever assistant coach Austin Kelly, who runs the offense, was not on the bench. His wife (and fellow assistant coach), Karima Christmas-Kelly, is already on maternity leave. So Gary Kloppenburg moved to the front of the bench, joining Briann January and Tully Bevilaqua.

And if you prefer audio form, make sure you are subscribed to the Fever Files Podcast.

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The Pacers waived guard Ethan Thompson on Thursday. The move allows for Thompson, who was signed to a two-way contract, to pursue an opportunity overseas.

According to Nova.rs, Thompson, 27, will head over to Belgrade, Serbia to play for Partizan in the EuroLeague.

A two-way contract is for half the rookie minimum — $678,882 for the upcoming season — and allows a player to be active with the NBA club for up to 50 games. That’s a significant jump from the standard G League salary of $45,000.

Heading into Summer League 2026 in Las Vegas, the biggest Pacers storyline was who would earn a two-way spot.

Five players were competing for three spots.

Taelon Peter. Jalen Slawson. Braden Smith. Kobe Brown. Ethan Thompson.

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The first chance to see Tyrese Haliburton back on a basketball court in more than a year will come in a place that is very special to the Pacers’ All-Star point guard.

So special, that the Pacers allowed for Haliburton to make the announcement.

The Pacers will open the 2026 preseason on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. ET against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a neutral-site game played at Hilton Coliseum, home of Iowa State basketball.

That will be his first game in a Pacers uniform in 472 days, since he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.

He underwent surgery the next day.

Haliburton played two seasons in Ames, Iowa, from 2018-20, and then he was part of the 2020 Draft Class that did not get the full experience due to COVID-19.

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Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White talks to reporters roughly an hour before each game. The WNBA requires both head coaches to be available for questions before and after each game.

White, however, had something she wanted to share.

Before the Fever hosted the New York Liberty Tuesday to Gainbridge Fieldhouse (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), White spoke for two minutes and 15 seconds and didn’t take any questions.

White, now in her second year as Fever head coach, wanted to push back on negative narratives about this team, its togetherness, and reinforce that she always has her players’ backs.

Here’s White’s full statement.

This isn’t necessarily for those people that are in this room. This is more for an online community that’s trying to create narratives that simply don’t exist, trying to create a fabrication or distortion of who I am, of what I’m about.

Our players’ success, our players’ health and wellness, our players’ safety is always a top priority for me. One of the things I pride myself on is my relationships with players.

For those who have anything to say about the play in the last game, I didn’t see the play in real time. I went straight to a press conference. I thought the play got called right. Thankfully, Sophie’s OK. Was it egregious? Absolutely. When you have a chance to watch that over and over and over on replay, you can see that. I didn’t have that in real time.

I take personally any suggestions that I don’t 100% always have my players’ back. I ride with them, 10 toes down, all the time. All the time. They know that.

It’s a shame that we can’t have an opportunity to talk about what great basketball they’re playing — because they are fucking playing.

The reality is, with me, I will always lead with love, I will always lead with grace, I will always lead with humility — and I will always lead with integrity.

Doesn’t mean I’ll always get it right. I’m also human. The hate, the fearmongering, the divisiveness, the stuff that’s trying to hijack our league WILL NOT WIN. [fist pounding on the table for emphasis] It won’t win.

We are united. We are connected. We will not be divided. Every day, these women put their ass on the line. Every day. When they go low, we go high.

Love will win. Grace will win. Humility will win and kindness will win. I stand by them. I will always stand by them. Everybody else can go to hell.

This statement comes one game after Chicago’s DiJonai Carrington was ejected for her hard foul on Sophie Cunningham that was upgraded to a Flagrant-2. It was a blow to the head, both unnecessary and excessive.

In that same game, Caitlin Clark later received a technical foul. However, it was soon rescinded by the league.

You can watch White’s full comments in the video below

Shortly after the press conference with White, the team issued a statement from team president Kelly Krauskopf:

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Caitlin Clark’s technical foul during the Fever’s win over the Chicago Sky was rescinded two hours and 20 minutes after it was assessed. That keeps Clark one technical foul away from reaching the threshold that would trigger an automatic fine and one-game suspension.

It was the correct outcome after a call that never appeared to warrant a technical in the first place. It was issued by a rookie WNBA official.

And while there was some discussion afterward about whether television partners might have had reason to get involved given Clark’s enormous importance to WNBA broadcasts, I don’t believe that was necessary. Every Fever game is nationally televised this season, and the league already has procedures in place to review technical fouls.

The more interesting question now is what happens from here.

Indiana enters Tuesday night with just 12 regular-season games remaining, beginning with a home matchup against the New York Liberty. It’s in the midst of an important stretch that will help determine where the Fever ultimately land in the playoff picture, and before the league pauses for the upcoming World Cup break.

The Fever have to work another new player into the mix.

Veteran center Mercedes Russell has joined the team after Indiana was granted the season-ending injury exception following Damiris Dantas’ knee surgery. Russell provides depth, another option behind Aliyah Boston, as the Fever try to solidify their rotation for the stretch run.

On the latest Fever Files podcast, I went solo to break down Clark’s rescinded technical and why the process played out the way it did, Russell’s addition, the Fever’s playoff positioning, and what I’m watching over these final 12 games.

Watch the full discussion below.

The technical foul assessed to Caitlin Clark in Saturday’s win at Chicago has been rescinded by the WNBA, a league source told Fieldhouse Files.

It was potentially significant because it would have been the eighth called on Clark this season, resulting in an automatic one-game suspension. That would have kept her out of a high-profile ESPN game on Tuesday as the Indiana Fever host the New York Liberty.

The Fever (20-12) are fourth in the WNBA standings, yet just one game ahead of the Liberty, who are in eighth.

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This was a fast appeal, with then the technical foul rescinded just two hours and 20 minutes after it was issued by rookie official Genesis Perrymond, one of five new referees for the 2026 season.

Kudos to the league for handling it so quickly and getting it right in the end. Not only was it incidental contact, but a suspension would have left many people unhappy — ESPN, fans with game tickets, Clark and the Fever.

The team plane wasn’t even off the ground at Chicago Midway when they learned of the news.

Clark was so baffled during the game that she turned to ESPN’s elite announcing duo of Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo as a teammate shot free throws and said “I didn't do anything. I didn't even say anything.”

When Holly Rowe followed up during an on-court interview postgame, Clark was confident it would get sorted out.

“She said I ran into her,” Clark said of Perrymond. “I've already watched it on the tape, so we'll let the league decide. But it wasn't intentional or anything. I'm hoping it's getting rescinded. Nothing was said. I'll see you on Tuesday.”

And Clark was right.

“She intentionally seeked out the official,” she said. “And threw a forearm, that too.”

During the game, White then was issued a technical foul for standing up for Clark in the moment.

“My tech was for saying ‘that’s bullshit,’ even though I heard the F-bomb the whole fucking game. My tech was for saying ‘that’s bullshit.’ That’s a bad call. That’s a bad call.

“Incidental contact when you’re flying out of control. And I thought her teammates should have come up and talked to her about that as well. I think that’s really bad. That shit happens all the time in the game. Officials have to have some awareness in those moments and it didn’t happen.”

Asked about it postgame, Clark added: “I just hope the league makes the right decision and hopefully I can play on Tuesday.”

Although it was corrected, it still cost the Fever two points during the game. The Sky received two foul shots, one for each technical, and Rachel Banham made both.

(My postgame video recap, recorded before the update, is below. Please excuse the audio.)

The Fever held on for a 90-86 win — their 20th victory of the season. Clark finished with 26 points and 11 assists for her eighth double-double this season. Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 to extend her streak to 16 consecutive games with at least 20 points, and Aliyah Boston added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Now, in addition to being cleared to play on Tuesday, Clark also avoids the $1,500 fine that comes with the eighth technical. But she still must be extra careful over the final 12 regular-season games to avoid triggering the automatic suspension with technical No. 8.

The Fever have appealed multiple Clark technical fouls this season, but this is the first one that has been rescinded.

Technical fouls do not carry over into the postseason.

About 20 minutes after the reversal, at 7:39 p.m. ET, the WNBA issued the pool report from the game.

QUESTION: What led to Caitlin Clark's technical in the third quarter?

MAJ FORSBERG: The official deemed that Clark intentionally made contact; therefore, a technical foul was assessed.

QUESTION: How did (the official) know that it was intentional?

MAJ FORSBERG: The league office will review whether any additional penalty should be assessed.

A Flagrant and post on Threads from DiJonai Carrington. Technical foul on Clark. Automatic suspension. Immediate appeal. Technical rescinded. Then a pool report from the officials.

Just another day in the WNBA.