“I refused to cheer for Caitlin Clark” – Tyrese Haliburton reveals reason behind not rooting for Fever star during her Iowa run

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton revealed his reason behind not rooting for Caitlin Clark during college. Despite showing their support for each other in the league, Haliburton disclosed that it wasn’t always like that. In an article posted on Thursday, the guard said that he initially didn’t support Clark’s run with the Hawkeyes due to his allegiance to Iowa State.

The former Kings player explained how he used to discuss Clark’s performances with her boyfriend, Conor McCaffery, who worked as a player development intern on the Pacers’ staff. Despite his report with McCaffery, Haliburton said that he didn’t support Clark until she left the Hawkeyes for the WNBA.

“Me and Connor would talk all the time about [Clark’s] journey, but I refused to cheer for Caitlin until she got out of college because I’m not cheering for Iowa,” he said.

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Haliburton's reluctance to support Clark was due to his strong affiliation with his alma mater, Iowa State, which is a direct rival to Iowa University. His loyalty towards his school barred him from supporting the former Hawkeye superstar, but that changed after she was drafted to the WNBA in 2024.

The two stars are now representing the same city after Clark was chosen as the No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever. Since both the men's and women's teams share Gainbridge Fieldhouse as their home court, Hali and CC are frequently seen supporting each other.

Clark showed her support for Haliburton during the NBA Finals, as the Indiana team hopes to win its first NBA title against the OKC Thunder.

Caitlin Clark expresses her desire to remain in Indiana and claims that Tyrese Haliburton feels the same way

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark expressed her desire to remain in Indiana for the rest of her career, while adding that Tyrese Haliburton feels the same way. Clark, who was drafted by the Fever, has become an icon in the city, while Haliburton has acquired a similar status after being traded to the Pacers in 2022.

In an article by Ramona Shelburne on Thursday, Clark professed the duo's love for the city as she refuted Indiana's "small market" tag.

"Ty and I would both tell you this is where we both hope to stay the rest of our careers. People are like, 'It's a small market.' But no, that's what makes it fun. These people, this is what the world means to them," she said, "I've never seen this type of excitement. People are lining up three hours before the game. I literally just got the chills thinking about it," she continued.

Tyrese Haliburton and Caitlin Clark have breathed new life into the city as they continue to make history with their respective teams. Haliburton led the Pacers to their first NBA Finals in 25 years, while Caitlin Clark took the Fever to the playoffs in her first season.

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About the author

Arian Kashyap

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

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