Myles Turner sits courtside at WNBA game, supports former Pacers assistant Tyler Marsh
The Pacers' center is back home in Dallas and attended a WNBA game on Wednesday.
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner sat courtside for the Dallas Wings’ game on Wednesday. With the game in Dallas, nearby where he grew up and his parents still live, Turner was able to attend the game and show support for a former coach.
Tyler Marsh, an assistant coach for player development the past two seasons with the Pacers, started in a new role as an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA in mid-April.
He visited Las Vegas during the All-Star break and a few weeks later, as I reported on here, accepted the position and then finished out the season with the Pacers. He did not have a pre-existing relationship with Aces’ first-year head coach Becky Hammon.
“He’s just a really great young coach that has all the tools,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said.
“This is a really unique opportunity. He’s getting to go with Becky (Hammon). It’ll be a high-profile situation in the WNBA and it’ll be an opportunity for him to gain even more responsibility and experience. We were completely supportive of it. She was very smart to find out about him and do her homework and offer him the position.”
The Aces won 92-84 to add to their league-best 12-2 record.
They play in Indiana on July 29 and 31, both games at Hinkle Fieldhouse — the third different home venue for the Fever this season.
During the season, Turner primarily worked with lead assistant coach Lloyd Pierce. They went through a routine together before each game. Marsh is a likable guy who loves the game and worked closely with many Pacers over the last two seasons, coming with ex-Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren from Toronto.
After failing to finish out a second consecutive season due to injury, I’m told Turner has started up his offseason training. He was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left foot and then was shut down — ultimately for the rest of the season.
It's been five months since he played in an NBA game, all the way back on Jan. 14 against Phoenix.
Turner, 26, is entering the final year under contract with the Pacers, who drafted him 11th overall in 2015.