Indiana
Bennedict Mathurin Reminds Everyone What He Can Be For Indiana Pacers

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 16: Bennedict Mathurin #00 of the Indiana Pacers looks on against … [+]
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DETROIT — The Indiana Pacers lost guard Bennedict Mathurin to an injury late last season. The Pacers crushed the Dallas Mavericks in early March, and Mathurin had a solid outing. But he suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder — his shooting shoulder — that night. He didn’t play again in 2023-24.
That kept the young ball handler out for his team’s first winning campaign. He was also absent for the postseason, and Indiana made a run. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals as Mathurin rehabbed, and while the team had success, they were missing Mathurin’s dynamic abilities.
“I think [Mathurin] saw what it takes to play the way we really want to play, what it takes to be successful in a playoffs setting,” Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said a few weeks ago. He added that Mathurin took all of that information in and processed it during the postseason. “I think you’ll see a different side to him this year that’s really playing and adapting to the way that we play.”
Mathurin is still blending his game with the unique way the Pacers operate. But he’s a low-turnover ball handler who can get to the rim with ease and make plays in a slowed-down setting. That’s the makeup of a player who could add value in the playoffs. And the Pacers happened to play against two teams that Mathurin had success against during the regular season in Milwaukee and New York.
Indiana found ways to win two rounds, but their young ball handler was missed. He’s an emerging talent as a scorer and attacker — the Pacers had to look elsewhere for those skills for the final two months of the 2023-24 season.
Wednesday night, Mathurin returned to action in Detroit. The Pacers opened up the season against the Pistons, and it was Mathurin’s first game with consequences since March 5. 232 days had passed since he last hit the hardwood.
Onlookers weren’t able to tell. The Arizona product looked as good as ever. Mathurin was terrific in the fourth quarter and changed the makeup of the game with his ability to get off shots and pump energy into an otherwise flat Pacers offense. Indiana was down by eight with 10:38 to play, yet they were able to get a win thanks to Mathurin. He didn’t miss a beat upon returning.
“Performance? I don’t really care, to be honest. I’m just happy we got the win,” Mathurin said when asked if it meant anything to have a strong outing in Detroit after so much time off. That mindset is important, but the team wouldn’t have gotten the win without his play.
Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) brings the ball up court against the Detroit Pistons … [+]
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Entering the fourth quarter, Mathurin had five points. His head coach, Rick Carlisle, shared that the young guard got pulled from the game after some rough defensive moments earlier in the second half. It was a mediocre night for the 2022 lottery pick to that point.
He owned the fourth quarter. Mathurin flicked in three foul shots in the first minute of the frame, and his ability to get to the free throw line is part of what makes him so special. With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps that should have been a signal of special things to come.
Less than two minutes later, the 22-year old cashed in another shot from the foul line. 19 seconds passed, then he embarrassed Jaden Ivey with a stepback jumper and drilled it. He had six points in about three minutes to open the fourth quarter, and the Pacers were now down by just two.
That was just the beginning. With seven minutes to go, Mathurin buried another jumper to give Indiana a lead. That edge felt flimsy until the shooting guard hit a key three with 2:55 remaining that extended his team’s advantage to four. Finally, the Pacers had some breathing room, and Mathurin created almost all of it.
“Time of the game,” Mathurin said when asked what changed for him in the final frame. “Just keeping the game simple. I know it’s the fourth quarter. We’ve got to make a run. Got to get a different perspective on the game. That’s when I thrive.”
He would score two more points down the stretch as the Pacers erased a double-digit deficit to earn their first win of the season. Mathurin’s late-game play made it all possible.
In just the fourth quarter, the young ball handler finished with 14 points, two rebounds, and one assist. He played the entire frame, and Indiana outscored Detroit 33-19 in the period. Mathurin took nine free throws in that quarter — his ability to get to the charity stripe has always been nearly elite.
Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin, right, takes a shot against Detroit Pistons forward Ron … [+]
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
“[Bennedict] Mathurin was great in this game. He just has that attitude as an attacker and as a scorer,” Carlisle said during this postgame press conference. “I thought defensively, as the game went along, he got better.”
Mathurin finished the outing with 19 points and six rebounds. Indiana almost certainly wouldn’t have grabbed a victory without him. Going forward, the key takeaway is that the young guard reminded everyone of exactly who he is.
Even on a night where Mathurin was off for some stretches, he could take over the game with his offensive firepower. When a battle slows down, he thrives. On an Indiana team that tries to play fast and keep the ball moving constantly, that change of pace can be valuable.
For Mathurin, the next step is consistency. He saw his team make a postseason run without him, and it’s his job to fit into that system. Moving the ball, defending, and making quick decisions will be key in making that happen.
Yet he also has to blend those improvements with the gifts that make him a high-ceiling player. The third-year pro, who will be eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension next offseason, showcased how he can do that on nights where the Pacers are slowed for much of the game.
“Be myself. I work hard, I was out for a minute. So the main thing for me is just to come back into the team,” he said of what he focuses on when the game slows down and defenses are honing in on him. “I’m not trying to turn people around and say ‘I’m back’. I’m just making sure my teammates know I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win.”
Mathurin certainly did that on Wednesday. The Indiana Pacers are 1-0, and their young guard helped everyone remember exactly who he is to secure the victory.

Indiana
Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham fined for TikTok mocking WNBA refs
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was fined $500 by the WNBA after posting a TikTok that appeared to mock league officiating, a source with knowledge of the fine unauthorized to discuss the matter publicly told The Athletic.
In the video, Cunningham lip-synced to a line from Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Manchild” — “Stupid, or is it slow? Maybe it’s useless” — with an overlying caption: “@ some refs.”
The clip, posted Friday, has garnered more than 1.2 million views. Wednesday, Cunningham responded to the fine on X.
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“I got fined $500 for this TikTok. idk why this is funny to me. Like ok, you got it bud! Cause there’s not more important things to be worried about with our league right now.”
This isn’t the first time the Fever have faced disciplinary action over officiating remarks. Coach Stephanie White was fined earlier this season after questioning the league’s consistency after a loss to the Washington Mystics.
When asked in May whether the WNBA should protect players from overly physical play, White didn’t hold back.
“Obviously, I think we can get better in certain areas as far as how we call the game, consistency with how we call the game,” White responded. “Are we going to say that we want a free-flowing offensive game, or are we going to have tough, grind-out physical games? And whatever way it is, the players will adjust and coaches will adjust, but we can’t have it be one way one quarter and another way another quarter.”
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Cunningham was also fined earlier this year after being assessed a flagrant 2 for her role in a skirmish that broke out at the conclusion of a mid-June game between the Fever and Connecticut Sun. She received an additional fine for her role in the scuffle that followed the initial foul.
This season, WNBA players and coaches have repeatedly criticized the league over officiating standards.
Fine transparency has also been an issue, as coach and player fines are seldom publicized by the league, sparking complaints about the lack of public information and inconsistency with punishments. In early June, New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud and forward Isabelle Harrison received a fine warning for wearing hats on the sideline of New York’s victory over the Las Vegas Aces. Neither played in the game due to injury.
The warning, as was the case with Cunningham, sparked frustration with the league’s fine protocols.
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“I just feel like we’re doing nitpicky s—,” Cloud said. “I’d rather the W focus on actual things than trying to take our money for wearing what we want to wear and expressing ourselves.”
The Fever lost to Cloud’s Liberty in each of their last two games. Indiana hosts the Aces on Thursday night.
Both incidents highlight ongoing tensions among WNBA players, coaches and the league over officiating standards and accountability.
— The Athletic’s Ben Pickman contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Indiana Fever, WNBA
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Indiana
Hegseth tells lawmakers about plan to detain immigrants at bases in Indiana and New Jersey – WTOP News

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says bases in Indiana and New Jersey can house detained immigrants without affecting…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says bases in Indiana and New Jersey can house detained immigrants without affecting military readiness — a step toward potentially detaining thousands of people on bases on U.S. soil.
Hegseth notified members of Congress from both states this week of the proposal to temporarily house detained immigrants at Camp Atterbury in Indiana, and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.
President Donald Trump has moved to aggressively detain and deport people in the country illegally, a push that has swept up large numbers of immigrants, including many with no prior criminal records, and forced federal authorities to find places to house them.
Hegseth said the presence of the detainees would not negatively affect the bases’ operations or training. Officials have not said when detainees could begin arriving at the facilities or if other military bases are under consideration.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said there are about 60,000 beds currently available for detained immigrants and the goal is to expand to 100,000.
“We’re looking for any available bed space we can get that meets the detention standards we’re accustomed to,” Homan said Friday. “The faster we get the beds, the more people we can take off the street.”
Democratic lawmakers from both states and civil rights advocates condemned the idea of housing immigrants at the bases, questioning the impact on military resources and the justification for so many detentions.
“Using our country’s military to detain and hold undocumented immigrants jeopardizes military preparedness and paves the way for (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids in every New Jersey community,” New Jersey’s Democratic delegation said in a statement.
Democratic Rep. Andre Carson of Indiana said his questions about detainee conditions have gone unanswered by the Trump administration.
He cited concerns raised about conditions at other facilities and said, “The fact that ICE has detained so many individuals that they now need to expand detention space in Indiana is disturbing.”
Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, said in a statement that housing immigrants in military facilities sets a dangerous precedent “and is contrary to the values embedded in our Constitution.”
Both of the bases identified by Hegseth have housed Afghan or Ukrainian refugees in recent years.
During Trump’s first administration, he authorized the use of military bases to detain immigrant children — including Army installations at Fort Bliss and Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas.
In 2014, President Barack Obama temporarily relied on military bases to detain immigrant children while ramping up privately operated family detention centers to hold many of the tens of thousands of Central American families who crossed the border.
___
Associated Press writers Christine Fernando and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.
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Indiana
Dead body found during police raid on fake sports memorabilia in Indiana | cllct

Police in Westfield, Indiana, said they discovered an “individual deceased with a self-inflicted gunshot wound” while executing a search warrant in regards to a counterfeit sports memorabilia scheme Wednesday.
The Westfield Police Department confirmed an “active investigation” into a fake memorabilia operation to cllct and said they executed a search warrant in the 16800 block of South Park Drive on Tuesday.
That investigation extended to the 300 block of Hoover Street, where upon arrival, officers found the dead body Wednesday. Westfield is located about 20 miles north of Indianapolis in Hamilton County.
The FBI is involved in the investigation, which is ongoing, police said in a statement.
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