WATCH: Caitlin Clark and Erica Wheeler's fanatical reactions to Tyrese Haliburton's game-winner

Modified Apr 27, 2024 03:24 GMT

Indiana Fever players Caitlin Clark and Erica Wheeler were present for the Pacers' Game 3 showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday and were treated to a cardiac game.

The two went ballistic after witnessing NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton drain the game-winner in the closing seconds, securing Indiana's 121-118 overtime victory and giving them a 2-1 lead in the series.

Watch their reaction below as Haliburton scores on an And-1 play with two seconds remaining, handing the Pacers the marginal bucket:

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It was a hard-fought battle for the Pacers in Game 3 against an undermanned but determined Bucks squad.

They raced to a huge 39-22 lead in the opening quarter and held a 67-55 advantage at the break. But the home team lost some traction in the third and fourth quarters, leading to an extra period when Bucks All-Star forward Khris Middleton sank a game-tying triple at the end of regulation, which ended at 111-111.

In OT, the back-and-forth continued, setting up the stage for Haliburton's heroics. With eight seconds to go and the score tied at 118-all, the Pacers' All-Star guard received the ball in the backcourt and then made his assault towards the basket.

He eluded the defense of Patrick Beverley, before taking off in the paint for a floater, drawing a foul with two seconds to go. He completed the three-point play by draining the free throw.

Milwaukee had a chance to force a second overtime, but Middleton's last-second three-point heave missed the mark, sending the hometown fans, including Caitlin Clark and Erica Wheeler into celebration.

Clark, 22, is set to play her first season with the Fever after being selected first overall by Indiana in this year's WNBA draft. In Indy, she joins 32-year-old veteran Wheeler in trying to help the team improve on its 13-27 campaign last season.

Caitlin Clark is thrilled to have joined with the Indiana Fever

After a stellar collegiate career where she broke countless records and earned tons of individual honors, Caitlin Clark is happy to continue her basketball journey with the Indiana Fever.

Selected first overall in this year's WNBA draft from the University of Iowa, the Des Moines native had hoped to land in Indiana and was thrilled to have it come true.

"I was hoping that Indiana got the first pick," she said (via FeverBasketball.com). "It would have made my life a lot better. So when I saw that, I was pretty excited.

"These are the moments you dream of... I can't think of a better place to start my career. A place that loves basketball, that supports women's basketball, and an organization that really does things the right way, has championship pedigree. I'm just very thankful that they have belief in me."

In her final year with the Hawkeyes, Clark averaged 31.6 points, 8.9 assists, 7.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals, leading her team to the NCAA Tournament championship game.

Throughout her collegiate career, she maintained averages of 28.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.1 rebounds.