The Indiana Pacers best season, at least by individual accolades, came from a power forward. Jermaine O’Neal was a top-three MVP finisher and Second-Team All-NBA talent at his best, and it’s a defining season for the Pacers franchise.

Throughout the years, the blue and gold have had several strong seasons from four men. Some All-Stars, some top utility men, and some forceful defenders have shined on Indiana’s best teams. Their most recent season changed in a positive way when they acquired a former All-NBA power forward in Pascal Siakam.

The top-five seasons by a Pacers power forward are hard to determine, though. Some of the best players to suit up at the position have multiple contenders for their best season with the franchise, which makes this list difficult to put together.

Honorable mention: Troy Murphy in 2008-09 and every Antonio Davis season

Murphy had a great season for a crummy Pacers team in 2008-09. He averaged 14.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, and he showed off skills that would make him a terrific modern big man as he shot 45% from long range. It was Murphy’s best-ever season as he was a star in his role, but it wasn’t enough to land in this top five.

Davis, meanwhile, gets on to this list for his lifetime achievement with Indiana. He played for the franchise for six seasons and was a great player almost every campaign. He averaged 9.0 points and 6.6 rebounds for the team and was a part of some terrific groups. He finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 1999.

5: Dale Davis in 1999-2000

Davis had many great seasons for the Pacers, but the 1999-2000 campaign featured his best combination of regular season and playoff success. The veteran big man was reliable for years, but he hit a new level as the century flipped.

Davis averaged 10.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game that season, and he was named an All-Star for the first and only time during his long career. He averaged more points or more boards in other campaigns, but he was strong in both categories for a talented Pacers team and contributed tough, much-needed defense. He was 11 total rebounds away from averaging a double-double.

In the postseason, Indiana reached the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. Davis averaged 8.3 points and 11.4 rebounds during his 23 playoff games that year, including 20 points and 14 boards in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The run to the title series, the All-Star appearance, and the strong production in both the regular season and playoffs make this a top-tier campaign at the four spot for Indiana.

4: Detlef Schrempf in 1992-93

Schrempf had many great, accolade-filled campaigns for the blue and gold during his time with the franchise. He won Sixth Man of the Year twice and received MVP votes for the organization. His skill set would fit well in the modern NBA — he had range, could rebound well, and added to any lineup he was a part of.

He had multiple seasons with monster stat lines for the blue and gold, including nearly averaging a double-double twice. More than one season could be considered Schrempf’s best with the franchise.

1992-93 rises to the top. The German forward was an All-Star for the first time that year, dominating opposing teams as a starter for the first time. He played 37.8 minutes per game and was in closing lineups often, yet the team hummed with Schrempf playing with bench units. He averaged 19.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, and while the Pacers didn’t do much in the postseason, the talented forward still had one of the best-ever power forward seasons for the blue and gold.

3: David West in 2012-13

West came to the Pacers and was the final piece on a roster that contended for the NBA Finals every season. The former All-Star forward helped Indiana approach the level of Miami Heat groups led by LeBron James, and West was a rock-solid contributor during those years.

Much of his Pacers tenure could be considered his peak with the franchise, but 2012-13 was West’s best season for Indiana. He averaged 17.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, which were by far his best figures for the blue and gold. That production was vital for a 49-win team. So much of West’s impact can’t be quantified — his toughness and leadership were frequently important.

In the postseason, the Pacers needed everything West could give. They raced to the Eastern Conference Finals, and their four man averaged 15.9 points and 7.6 rebounds. West didn’t have the same statistical production as Schrempf and didn’t earn the same accolades, but he had much more postseason success and was vital in many intangible ways. The Pacers were one game from the Finals that year, and West had many great outings along the way in the playoffs.

2: Jermaine O’Neal in 2002-03

O’Neal has perhaps the best peak of any player in Pacers history. After coming to Indiana from Portland in the early 2000s, the two-way threat changed the franchise’s fortunes and pushed the team back into the top tier of the league.

His play on both ends of the floor was menacing. On offense, O’Neal had punch and touch. He could finish around and through defenders, and he made 69.4% of his shots from inside three feet that season. He scored 20.8 points and pulled in 10.3 rebounds per game for a Pacers team that won 48 games. O’Neal was an All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Third Team while receiving Most Improved Player votes one year after winning the award.

The Pacers playoff run was short that season, which separates this season from some of O’Neal’s other great years — that said, his playoff stats (22.8 points and 17.5 rebounds per game in six games) were remarkable. But in many ways, he was at his best during this campaign, and the Pacers knew they had a star on their roster.

1: Jermaine O’Neal in 2003-04

O’Neal followed up his excellent 2002-03 season with an even better one from start to finish. The veteran forward continued to dominate on both ends of the floor as Indiana grew into a title contender once again.

The big man averaged 20.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, nearly matching his numbers from the prior year. His subtle improvements were vital in the Pacers ascent. They also led to more league wide recognition. O’Neal was named to the All-NBA Second team, which is the best All-NBA finish for a Pacers player ever. He likely would have made the First-Team if positions didn’t matter for the squads.

O’Neal ranked third in MVP voting that season, and he took in two first-place votes — the second most of any player. Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan were the top-two finishers, but O’Neal was voted near that level for his contributions.

In the postseason, the star forward continued his level of play and averaged 19.2 points and 9.1 rebounds. The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Detroit Pistons, but O’Neal’s campaign was still terrific from start to finish, and it featured postseason success.

For more on this list, check out the Locked On Pacers podcast.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – If you grew up in Big Ten country, within the traditional territory of the 10 core Midwestern schools in the conference, the Shangri-La of your college football dreams is the Rose Bowl.

The Big Ten champion played there annually from 1946 to 2001. The Big Ten champ has been in the Jan. 1 game since then in years when the Rose Bowl wasn’t part of the Bowl Championship Series or the College Football Playoff.

It’s a lifetime dream, if you follow one of the traditional Big Ten schools, to see your favorite team run out into the wide-open spaces of the vast Rose Bowl stadium on New Year’s Day. Programs that have made regular appearances – Michigan, Ohio State to name the most obvious examples – see it as their minimum annual goal. If they’re not playing in Pasadena? Something went wrong.

Other programs – Indiana and Purdue jump to mind – have played in the game so rarely that it’s a kind of unrequited dream. The Hoosiers only played in the Rose Bowl once; every other traditional Big Ten school has played in it multiple times. Indiana made its appearance after its magical 1967 season.

Purdue, Minnesota and Northwestern have been in the game twice. Illinois and Michigan State have made five appearances. It’s a rare treat for most of the traditional Big Ten membership and one to be celebrated when you do play in the game.

The lore of the Rose Bowl goes beyond that. The iconography is famous. The weather is seemingly almost always letter-perfect. The Rose Bowl organizers fight to have their kickoff at 5 p.m. ET so fans and TV viewers get to see the sunset over the nearby San Gabriel Mountains. The stadium itself sits along the picturesque Arroyo Seco, a ravine that leads toward Los Angeles proper.

It’s one of the most famous venues in sports, and Indiana will play there for just the second time in school history as it visits UCLA for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has been to the Rose Bowl once. He was the receivers coach (and recruiting coordinator) on the Crimson Tide’s 2009 national championship team. Alabama defeated Texas 37-21 in the Rose Bowl to win the title.

It’s here where it’s instrumental to remember that Cignetti is always hyper-focused on the state of his team. When asked about the lore of the Rose Bowl stadium? The Indiana coach wasn’t really feeling it.

“Rose Bowl has a lot of tradition for people that follow football,” Cignetti said, before he let the other shoe drop.

“For me and the team, it’s more of a business trip, whether we’re playing in the Rose Bowl or in a parking lot. It’s all the same,” Cignetti added.

Romantic? Hardly. Not that Cignetti’s attitude is wrong; it’s absolutely right. Sentiment is not a commodity Cignetti has room for with the Hoosiers staring down their Big Ten opener.

“It’s going to be a little longer trip out there, bus to Indianapolis, fly out of there into L.A., about an hour to the hotel, little bit of a time change, but it’s no big deal,” Cignetti said matter-of-factly.

But what about the pull the Rose Bowl has on Big Ten heartstrings? The fond Hoosier memories of 1967? That famous sunset that may play out toward the end of Saturday’s 4:30 PT kickoff?

“The venue, it’s never really played a big part in it from a coaching standpoint, and we’re looking forward to playing,” Cignetti said.

Oh.

To be fair to Cignetti, the Rose Bowl has become just another conference venue to conquer. And while the stadium itself brings forth nostalgic memories for Big Ten fans for New Year’s Day pasts? This is a regular-season conference game. There won’t be any Rose Parade when Indiana arrives in Pasadena in mid-September.

It can be a problematic venue for the hosts. UCLA has called the Rose Bowl home since 1982. The very thing that makes the Rose Bowl unique – the vast 106,869 seating capacity – works against a good game-day atmosphere when the Bruins take over the stadium.

UCLA’s average attendance in 2023 was 47,950 with a high of 71,343 for a game against Colorado and a low of 35,437 against a then-No. 13 Washington State team.

UCLA’s on-field fortunes have been mediocre for many years – the Bruins last won a conference title in 1998, and they’ve only finished in the season-ending top 25 four times in the 21st Century – so they’ve had trouble maintaining support at the venue. There has been talk over the years about moving to a different facility or building a stadium that is more appropriate for UCLA’s needs.

Still, it’s the Rose Bowl. The field of dreams for Big Ten football fans. Indiana is playing on that field. It’s a big deal, right?

Cignetti won’t be drawn into all of that, as evidenced by follow-up questions from his press conference.

“It’s next game up. Every game is the most important game. You guys can write your stories and your angles on how important X game is relative to Y game, but they all count as one game,” Cignetti said. “It’s the first conference game, so we’re excited about that, and we want to get off to a good start.”

Cignetti isn’t going to let the Hoosiers get caught up in the allure of the Rose Bowl.

“That’s a big part of my job to make sure we eliminate the noise and the clutter and everybody understand why we’re there. The guys that make that trip will understand that,” Cignetti said.

Oh well. Fans can corner the market on romance. Cignetti knows the task at-hand is his priority.

The Indiana Fever (19-17) continue their homestand with the first of two straight games against the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces (22-13).

Backcourt scoring stars Caitlin Clark (19.2 points, 34.7% on 3-pointers) and Kelsey Mitchell (19.1, 39.2%) power the Fever. Aliyah Boston (14.3 points, 9.1 rebounds) has averaged 24.7 points and 10.7 rebounds over her past three games. NaLyssa Smith adds 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds.

Likely league MVP A’ja Wilson (27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 blocked shots) and fellow Olympians Kelsey Plum (18.1, 35.5% on 3s, 4.4 assists) and Jackie Young (16.2 points, 34.4% on 3s, 5.3 assists) power Las Vegas, which is coming off a loss to league-leading New York.

The Aces own two 19-point wins over the Fever, both in Las Vegas. These teams meet at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday and Friday.

Want more Fever coverage? Follow Chloe Peterson and subscribe to IndyStar’s Fever newsletter. Want to remember this season forever? Pre-order our book on Clark’s rookie season. 

‘I’m proud of us’: How Fever flip script on Dream for comeback OT win

When do the Indiana Fever play today?

7 p.m. ET Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

What channel are the Indiana Fever vs Las Vegas Aces on?

TV: NBA TV

Streaming: Fubo (free trial), WNBA League Pass

Will the Indiana Fever make the WNBA playoffs?

Yes. The Aces are in fourth place and the Fever are sixth in the 12-team league. Eight teams make the WNBA playoffs.

Caitlin Clark stats with the Indiana Fever

Averages through Sept. 8 (36 games): 19.2 points, 8.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 34.7% 3-point shooting, 90.7% free throw shooting.

Get Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever jerseys, gear

Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark jerseys, shirts, sweatshirts and hats from Fanatics can be found here.

Tickets to see Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Tickets for Fever games are available here.

2024 Indiana Fever schedule

This is the Indiana Fever 2024 schedule, with TV info; all times are ET

*-Commissioner’s Cup games

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.