There are friendships, and then there are full-blown basketball power alliances wrapped in headbands and high-tops. Caitlin Clark and Tyrese Haliburton? They’re both, just with better court vision and matching injury timings. With a friendship that began a few years ago, courtesy of Clark’s boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, the two stars’ connection has now transcended into a whole territory of wholesomeness. But before we get to the details of their dynamic, let’s look at how the stars snatched folks’ attention with their latest adventures.

When Clark showed up to the WNBA All-Star weekend despite her groin injury along with Connor, Haliburton did, too, on a scooter despite his Achilles injury with longtime girlfriend, Jade Jones. But that’s not the only thing that turned heads, but rather a clip that went viral from later that night. As per a video shared by an X user, the Fever star was seen at a party alongside Tyrese and Jade. “caitlin is at a party with tyrese and his gf 😭😭😭😭😭😭,” read the caption of the post showing the Fever star chilling in a corner of the jam-packed floor.

Notably, Haliburton and McCaffery were already well acquainted while they were playing college basketball at Iowa State and Iowa, respectively. But when the latter joined the Pacers’ staff as a player development intern, they grew closer. “Me and Connor would talk all the time about [Clark’s] journey,” the Pacers star reminisced in a conversation with ESPN in June, before hilariously adding, “But I refused to cheer for Caitlin until she got out of college because I’m not cheering for Iowa.”

However, now that Clark has made her way into the upper echelons of the NBA, so has the two-time NBA All-Star’s support. More often than not, the Fever star and her friend are seen on the sidelines during each other’s games, yelling, advising, and cheering. During one particular Pacers clash – that Clark was not able to attend because of her own team commitments – Clark even recorded her reaction to her friend’s victory in overtime. “I have a video on my phone I’m never going to show anybody…”I cuss way too much in [the video],” the former Hawkeyes star admitted. There’s supposedly also a group chat that Haliburton ALWAYS responds to.

Even during the postseason, when very few people would hardly get a response, this particular chat, consisting of Clark, Connor, Tyrese, and his longtime girlfriend Jade Jones, would be the Pacers guards’ source of information and entertainment. “We’re talking 24/7,” Haliburton stated to ESPN.

Haliburton and Clark have been publicly rooting for each other for a long time. He tweets her highlights. She reposts his dimes. And when Caitlin Clark channels her inner Reggie Miller in support of the Pacers? Haliburton’s on the sideline, hyping her up right back. They’re the embodiment of Midwest basketball loyalty—scrappy, stylish, and borderline telepathic. Clark even admitted Haliburton clowns her after high-turnover games. “He’ll text me and be like, ‘Nice triple-double,’” she laughed. That support system cuts both ways. Clark was yelling at him courtside during Game 3 of the Finals: “Shoot it! You’re open!” You don’t yell at a star like that unless you know he’s got it in him. And he does.

So, where does this go from here?

Clark is Tyrese & Co.’s good luck charm

For starters, Caitlin Clark and Tyrese Haliburton are both reportedly committed to Indiana for the long haul. Small market, big heart. Clark said it best: “Ty and I would both tell you this is where we both hope to stay the rest of our careers… These people, this is what means the world to them.” She’s embraced the Fever’s rabid fanbase with the same energy she brings from the logo. Haliburton mirrors that. Injuries may have benched them temporarily, but the partnership?

Still full-speed. They’re modern-day basketball royalty with none of the pretense. Think LeBron-Wade, but make it Indiana and add a little GloRilla on the aux. Clark’s been under the microscope lately, from her $78K salary to her All-Star snub to her every move on and off the court, to her fellow players protesting the league to “Pay Us What You Owe Us“. But standing next to Haliburton? That lens refracts a little differently. And Pacers fans have practically knighted Clark at this point.

She’s now their unofficial “good luck charm,” and honestly? The results speak for themselves. Ever since Clark hit the Indiana scene, the Fever’s buzz has bled into Gainbridge and beyond. You can’t manufacture that kind of superstition. You just ride the wave.

Together, they feel less like isolated stars and more like the blueprint for what basketball culture could be—inter-league support, city-first mentality, and a sense of community larger than any one highlight reel. For now, both are healing. But don’t let the crutches and absences fool you. The most powerful basketball friendship in Indiana is alive, loud, and partying right through the pain. Something tells us that when they both suit up again, it won’t just be a comeback. It’ll be a coronation.