A Caitlin Clark fan flew 2,000 miles to meet the Indiana Fever rookie and made it count. The now-viral birthday moment was captured courtside at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Fan Meets Caitlin Clark As She Attends Pacers Game Amid Fever Injury Woes
“Those 2,000 miles flown was worth my trip! Thank you for making my birthday weekend so special, Caitlin!” the fan, who goes by @arenadostan_ on X (formerly Twitter), posted along with photos from the meet-up.
Those 2,000 miles flown was worth my trip! Thank you for making my birthday weekend so special, Caitlin! pic.twitter.com/V0mCkd9SOm
— Arenado Stan (@arenadostan_) June 1, 2025
The moment unfurled during Game 6, as the Indiana Pacers sealed their spot in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. Courtside, Caitlin Clark was all laughs and smiles, joined by Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull, cheering on the home team in front of a roaring crowd.
But her appearance came with a bit of context. The Indiana Fever are juggling some lineup trouble, and Clark herself is in recovery mode. She’s nursing a quad injury and won’t be suiting up for Tuesday’s game against the Washington Mystics — at least not yet.
The Fever are 2-4 to start the WNBA season. They also lost Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham to injuries last week. With just two healthy guards available, team executive Kelly Krauskopf confirmed Indiana is likely to sign a hardship player.
Our Girls Basketball team had the thrill of a lifetime on Friday when they were hosted by the Indiana Fever team for a WNBA game!
The highlight was getting to meet Caitlin Clark! Caitlin was so gracious & visited with the team, took lots of pictures, signed autographs & gave out… pic.twitter.com/PoMdKYHKxa
— Maroon Crew (@MaroonCrew) May 31, 2025
“We’re down. In numbers, we’re down,” Krauskopf told reporters. “We’re looking at adding another player to help us with our numbers and try to get people healthy.”
Head coach Stephanie White said the team is exploring all options.
“We’ve got to have somebody who can help us navigate offense, handle the ball, since we’re down to two healthy guards,” White said. “We can’t control everything so we will get the best player we can get.”
Pacers-Knicks Game 6 Draws Celebrities, With Mixed Reactions From Indiana Fans
Caitlin Clark wasn’t the only headline-maker inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday. The courtside lineup looked straight out of a Hollywood premiere. Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Mike Epps, Anthony Richardson, and Reggie Wayne all turned up for the action.
Chalamet and Jenner’s return to Indiana raised some eyebrows, especially after the drama in Game 4. That was the night Pat McAfee hyped up the home crowd to boo any Knicks fans in the building, which, awkwardly, included Chalamet, Spike Lee, and Ben Stiller.
Musician John Mellencamp, a regular at Pacers games, chose not to attend Game 6 after criticizing the home crowd’s behavior during the earlier matchup.
🏀| WNBA player Caitlin Clark shares which celebrity she wants to see courtside at a game one day:
“Timothée Chalamet. I think we’re gonna get him to a game. He’ll be here.” pic.twitter.com/6YKsMsM5wc
— Timothée Chalamet Updates (@timotheeupdates) May 21, 2025
“I was embarrassed when somebody… called out some of the people who had made the trip from New York to support their team,” Mellencamp wrote. “That was not Hoosier Hospitality.”
Pat McAfee traded the baseline for the balcony in Game 6, watching from a suite this time after sitting courtside in Game 4. Meanwhile, Reggie Miller got his moment, the crowd erupted into a standing ovation for the Pacers legend during a timeout, a rare pause where the spotlight shifted to the past.