Caitlin Clark and Tyrese Haliburton spark historic surge in Indiana sports merch sales: "Impossible to prepare for something like this"

Caitlin Clark and Tyrese Haliburton are driving Indiana sports to lofty heights. The Indiana Fever superstar and the Indiana Pacers guard have made the state the center of basketball. Clark is undoubtedly the biggest draw in women’s basketball, while Haliburton has led the Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years.

Todd Taylor, who runs Pacers Sports & Entertainment, gave Front Office Sports a glimpse of their teams’ surging popularity.

“It’s impossible to prepare for something like this. We scaled back the number of products available online because we’ve been getting 1,000 orders per night online—often multiple items per order. Each day we need to restock the store so we have merchandise available for games in the arena.”

When fans go to the Pacers’ team store, which also sells Fever merchandise, they will be greeted with a note. The page is asking for “patience” because of the limited selection of Pacers-Fever products. It reasoned that the “high volume of orders” has kept production from keeping up with the demand.

Pacers games, particularly in the playoffs, have been in demand. Tyrese Haliburton’s late-game heroics have endeared him even more to the fans. The Pacers have rightfully been called the comeback kids of the playoffs for good reason. Fans have responded by demanding more yellow-themed team merchandise.

Meanwhile, Indiana Fever games have become highly sought after since Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA in 2024. This year, her popularity has become even more pronounced. TV ratings reportedly dropped by 50% when she sat out due to an injury. No one is surprised the high demand for Fever merchandise is through the roof.

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No Caitlin Clark for Game 6 between Tyrese Haliburton’s Indiana Pacers and OKC Thunder

A conflict in the schedule will prevent Caitlin Clark from attending Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. When Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers host the OKC Thunder, Clark and Co. face the Golden State Valkyries in the Bay Area.

Haliburton might not see action after suffering a calf strain in Game 5 on Monday. The point guard fell in the first quarter and re-aggravated an injury he initially suffered in Game 2 on June 8.

Fans have highly appreciated Caitlin Clark's presence at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Pacers have an 8-1 record in the playoffs when the WNBA superstar is in the house.

Without their good luck charm and Haliburton questionable, the Pacers hope to survive another day and extend the series.