Indiana

‘It changes everything.’ Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever react to WNBA move to charter flights

Published

2 years ago

May 8, 2024

‘It changes everything.’ Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever react to WNBA move to charter flights

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides remembers one specific time she and her team got caught up in commercial airline troubles.

Really, she said, she tries to suppress it.

“I don’t remember (what airport),” Sides said. “I was trying to block that one out.”

More: Caitlin Clark, welcome to WNBA… and commercial flights. ‘Will definitely be an adjustment.’

More: How Caitlin Clark is inspiring Indiana’s next generation of stars

Back when she was an assistant coach for the Chicago Sky between 2011-16, the team was trying to make the second game of a back-to-back. But the plane was delayed. Then delayed again. And again. Finally, canceled. The team, coaches and support staff had to sleep in the airport while waiting for a 6 a.m. flight. Then, they played a game that night.

But now, with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert saying the league will start to use full charter flights for all 12 teams this season, commercial flight issues will be a thing of the past.

“It is incredible,” Sides said. “I just sent a message out to the players last night when the news hit, just that this is what they deserve. They deserve this, and it changes everything. It changes their rest, it changes their rehab… Instead of getting up at like, early in the morning to get back here, then they don’t have to practice at four o’clock, five o’clock in the evening. It changes everything.”

With these new charter flights, the only thing they’ll be losing out on is airline miles.

“I guess I’ll have to book some extra flights,” Fever center Aliyah Boston joked.

The league doesn’t have a specific timeline yet for when charter flights will be available for all 12 teams. Engelbert said the program will be implemented “as soon as we can logistically get planes in places,” but added it could take up to a couple weeks or a month, meaning teams will likely start the regular season flying commercially.

More: WNBA plans to provide full-time charter flights for Indiana Fever, league teams this season

The Fever flew commercially from Indianapolis International Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth for their preseason game against the Dallas Wings last week, and they were met with fans wanting signatures and media taking videos.

“There were people (in the airport) like ‘Oh my gosh, can we get signatures, can we get your signatures?’” Boston said. “And obviously you guys saw people like following us with a camera. But I mean, that’s just what it is, we understand. So I’m really glad that we’re taking these precautions, especially with charter.”

Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark has been the main reason for a lot of the media attention the Fever have been getting recently. Pacers Sports & Entertainment beefed up its security during Fever travel because of Clark’s popularity, and she was the subject of most of the videos about the Fever’s arrival in Dallas.

Now, Clark and the Fever will have more privacy when they travel. And in the 27th year of the WNBA, it’s been a long time coming.

“I’m just super excited for the players who have been in this league for a really long time and have really deserved this for years and years and years,” Clark said. “I’m just excited, I’m thankful, at whatever point that it is, that it happens. It’ll be great for us, it’ll make recovery easier, it’ll make travel easier, it just makes life a lot easier for a lot of people… I’m just very fortunate to come to this league and have this opportunity the first year that I’m here.”

Boston spent her rookie season flying to games commercially — a stark change from her four years at South Carolina, where she and the Gamecocks flew charter to every game. For the second-year center, who stands at 6-4, flying charter isn’t only about security. It’s about being able to stretch out on planes, get back home after games, and have extra time to rest.

“You play your game, you get back on that plane, and you get to sleep in your own bed,” Boston said. “That’s really what you know, we’ve been used to in college. So coming here and making that change, you know, is going to be great for us.”

Follow IndyStar Fever Insider Chloe Peterson on X at @chloepeterson67.

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Indiana

San Antonio vs. Indiana, Final Score: Spurs got serious when they needed to, winning 134-119

Published

9 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

San Antonio vs. Indiana, Final Score: Spurs got serious when they needed to, winning 134-119

The San Antonio Spurs have a habit of playing with their food, but the talent difference between them and their opponents makes up for it on most nights. Eventually, they flexed their muscles and there was nothing the visitors could do.

They overwhelmed the Indiana Pacers with paint pressure, which also opened up the outside game, and everyone who got time was a contributor. Victor Wembanyama was like an angry killer wasp on defense, constantly harassing ball handlers, racking up four of his five blocks in the first half. Everything was going smoothly, but his teammates started allowing too much penetration, and their 21-point lead was reduced to eight. It was just three players doing most of the heavy lifting offensively for the Pacers, and the Spurs spent the rest of the game, denying them from getting within striking distance.

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NFL draft profile 2026: D’Angelo Ponds (Cornerback, Indiana)

Published

21 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

The 2026 NFL Draft is in Pittsburgh! This draft season, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital, and their fit with the Steelers.

The nickel cornerback position is essentially a starter in the modern NFL, and not many 2026 draft prospects have more hype there than D’Angelo Ponds. Could he be in play for the Steelers?

The basics on D’Angelo Ponds

Defensive stats via Sports Reference

D’Angelo Ponds scouting report

I’m not sure if there’s a prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft more universally loved than Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds. And if you watched him this season, you’d understand why. Ponds is the embodiment of the “got that dog in me” memes with the pit bull photo-shopped over a chest X-ray. He’s an undersized defender at 5’9, 182 pounds, sure, but he plays so much bigger and was one of the best cornerbacks in the country on a National Championship team that had to play a lot of good offenses to get that far.

The biggest constant in the games I watched of Ponds is that he makes plays. He finished 2025 with 61 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, and 11 passes defensed. He’s a high-effort player who can defend both the run and pass. That leads to production in every aspect of the game.

Ponds is more than just an undersized fan favorite, as well. While he didn’t test much at the NFL Combine, his vertical jump was elite and he looked plenty fluid in the individual drills. He’s an NFL athlete.

Ponds is a lot of fun to watch in coverage. He’s generally smooth in his transitions, with urgent, choppy footwork that helps him stay in the receiver’s pocket throughout the play. His sub-30” arms are a bit of a concern on paper, but you wouldn’t guess it from his play — Ponds does a great job contesting catches and uses his arms well to make a play on the ball.

Ponds also possesses good instincts in zone coverage, especially near the line of scrimmage. When he sniffs out a route he drives on it quickly to make a play.

Ponds has a bit of a folk hero reputation on NFL Draft Twitter — well deserved, in my opinion — but we do have to be realistic about his projection in the pros. Ponds plays big, but was still brought back down to earth against Madden-create-a-player Jeremiah Smith in their matchup.

You’ll also see him give up contested catches to big pass-catchers at times. Ultimately, while I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ponds hold up OK on the boundary in the NFL, his skill set definitely translates best to the slot where he won’t be matched up against X receivers as often and can play to his strengths coming downhill.

Because again, even though Ponds is not a large corner, he’s a great tackler for his position, hitting with impact and consistently wrapping up.

Ponds projects as a plus starter in the nickel in the NFL thanks to his coverage ability and tackling mindset.

Strengths

Choppy, active feet; mirrors effectively and relentlessly
Plays much larger than his listed size
Ferocious at the catch point; disrupts receivers with his arms
Effective, high-effort tackler

Weaknesses

Will likely be limited to the slot in the NFL
Lack of size can be an issue against big X receivers; bullied by Jeremiah Smith
Aggressive playing style occasionally backfires

What others are saying about D’Angelo Ponds

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

Ponds is a productive perimeter cornerback trapped in a smaller body, but he’s not lacking in confidence or coverage tenacity. He’s tremendously competitive and winning seems to follow him at each stop. He matches press releases with good slide quickness and has the speed to stay in-phase as routes travel vertically. Eye discipline, instincts and trigger quickness fuel his zone work and catch disruption. Size limitations will likely push him to nickelback, where mismatches against bigger bodies and physical challenges from run games will test his playmaking/durability. Ponds is a likely Day 2 pick who will be an above-average starting nickelback in the NFL.

Daniel Harms, Bleacher Report

Ponds plays with fantastic zone awareness in any variation thanks to his quick feet and track background. His instincts are tied to strong eye discipline and make him a formidable opponent when reading the quarterback. … Doesn’t panic with the ball in the air and plays with the mindset of a bigger corner when working downfield. He attacks the catchpoint with authority and timing to disrupt catches. .. When dealing with comeback routes or hitches at full speed, he displays a slight hitch within his deceleration. This slight pause allows receivers to sell deep and break him off at the top of routes. … PRO COMPARISON: Marcus Jones

Jay Robins, Stampede Blue

The simple fact is, Ponds’ tape is sensational. Had he grown roughly 3 inches taller and had his arm length and weight grow proportionally, his tape would warrant not just Round 1 discussion, but created a Top Corner in the Class debate with LSU’s Mansoor Delane. Even without that extra growth spurt, Ponds has maximized every athletic gift he’s been given and plays with a fiery intensity that shines bright. As one of the chairmen of the Upton Stout = Stud committee leading up to last years’ draft, I can’t help but love the tape and trust in the player’s clear passion to work itself out; measuring tape be damned.

D’Angelo Ponds’ fit with the Steelers

If the Steelers plan to move Jalen Ramsey to safety in the future, drafting Ponds in the second round would shore up the Pittsburgh secondary with a quality slot corner. He could also see some success on the outside in more of a cloud corner role.

Of course, the Steelers could see Ramsey as the answer in the slot for the time being (where I think he fits best), making a Ponds pick somewhat redundant. Either way, the Indiana product is sure to be an instant fan favorite wherever he lands.

TL;DR: Ponds is a feisty, undersized cornerback who excels as a tackler and in coverage. He’s a playmaker in every phase of the game who will likely move to the slot in the NFL, but Ponds’ athleticism and high-effort playing style should make him an instant contributor.

What are your thoughts on Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!

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Highway shut down after waste truck carrying dead bird flu ducks crashes in northern Indiana

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

Highway shut down after waste truck carrying dead bird flu ducks crashes in northern Indiana

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Emergency management responded to a hazmat situation on Friday morning after a waste management truck carrying ducks that had died from bird flu crashed into a ditch at the side of a highway, according to officials.

The truck rolled into a ditch along U.S. Route 33 in Churubusco in Northern Indiana just after 8 a.m., forcing the highway to close in both directions, the Whitley County Emergency Management Agency said in a news alert.

The scene was secured with a 100-foot perimeter as a precaution and there’s no known threat to public health at this time, the agency said.

“Waste management, Maple Leaf Farms, and Indiana Board of Animal Health are working together to have a specialized team to come do the cleanup,” the agency said.

HUNDREDS OF WILD BIRD DEATHS REPORTED ACROSS 7 COUNTIES, PROMPTING PARK CLOSURES

A bird flu warning sign. (File photo, Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Smith Township Fire Department, Whitley Sheriff Department, Churubusco Police Department and Whitley County Emergency Management all responded to the incident.

“Avoid the area of 650 East and US 33 north of Churubusco due to an emergency scene,” the agency said Friday morning on social media.

COLORADO DECLARES DISASTER EMERGENCY AFTER PRESUMPTIVE BIRD FLU OUTBREAK HITS FACILITY WITH 1.3M CHICKENS

A duckling getting a bird flu vaccination. (Gaizka Iroz/AFP via Getty Images)

The dead ducks had been picked up at several Maple Leaf Farms in Northern Michigan, and they had all been diseased with bird flu.

The H5N1 Avian Flu outbreak has been ongoing in the U.S. for the last several years, and has left hundreds of millions of birds dead.

Ducks at a farm in New York. (Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Getty Images)

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The avian flu is highly contagious among birds and some mammals, but it doesn’t transmit easily to humans.

“People rarely get bird flu, but when they do, it is most often after close, unprotected exposure (without wearing respiratory or eye protection) to birds or other animals infected with avian influenza A viruses,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its website.

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