Limo in Indianapolis, IN

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INDIANAPOLIS — Myles Turner was hoping after everything he did for the Indiana Pacers that his longtime fans would at least give him a polite, warm ovation in his first game against his former team.

Instead, he heard boos — all night long.

They started from the moment the public address announcer introduced his pregame video tribute. Each time Turner touched the ball, scored a point or checked into the game, the hurtful crescendo of jeers would restart.

"It was disheartening. Man, it was frustrating," he said after helping the Milwaukee Bucks pull out a 117-115 victory on his old home court. "You give 10 years of your life, your blood, sweat and tears. You take pay cuts, you survive trade rumors, you try to do everything the right way and then sometimes that stuff shakes out. It's cool, you know, I'll take it on the chin."

Turner certainly had people on his side.

His family sat courtside and received pregame hugs from John Haliburton, the father of Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said before the game he expected Turner to receive the warm reception he deserved. Bucks coach Doc Rivers said after the game he was discouraged by how it all played out. And in between, Turner took time to check in on former teammates and thank the members of the Pacers training staff for what they did during his first decade in the league.

His new teammates had his back.

"Myles needed this and we all needed this for him," Bucks guard Cole Anthony said. "This was a hostile environment for him, especially tonight. I think they booed him every time he got the ball or checked in the game, so I'm definitely glad we were able to get that done for him."

Turner was one of the longest-tenured Pacers in franchise history and thought he'd experienced virtually every possible environment he could imagine in Indianapolis, from an NBA Finals appearance to an All-Star Game. Then came Monday.

"I was joking with the guys I've never even seen the visitor's locker room, that I didn't even know what it looked like, so definitely just a different territory to say the least," he said after the morning shootaround.

Turner's decision to leave the Pacers in free agency and sign with the rival Bucks started the fans' anger with him.

Word of Turner's surprise departure leaked less than two weeks after Haliburton went down with a torn Achilles tendon in the first half of a Game 7 loss to Oklahoma City and after management had already said re-signing Turner was the offseason priority.

"I'm sure it's kind of an emotional thing for him," Rivers said of Turner's return. "I've done it and it's a lot easier doing it as a coach. You get fired, go back, pretty easy."

Some fans were merely upset Turner took the four-year, $107 million contract and ran. Others became disillusioned with his post-signing comments such as wanting to play for a team that would remain competitive this season or in a city that would "celebrate him."

Turner has tried to clarify those comments multiple times and took more time Monday to explain his intentions. It didn't matter to the fans who apparently have neither forgotten nor forgiven the Texan, who became a two-time NBA blocks champ in Indy.

"There is definitely a human element to this thing that people are just never going to be able to understand," Turner said. "I was here when I was 19 years old. I grew up here, it's all I've ever known. So to come back to a place where there's nothing but hate and boos, it's tough. I think there's plenty of people who are appreciative what I've done for the city."

Turner finished with nine points, seven rebounds and five blocks on a night he went 3 of 7 from the field. His replacement in Indiana, Isaiah Jackson, finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds — his highest single-game scoring total since January 2022.

But Giannis Antetokounmpo's buzzer-beating mid-range jumper at least allowed Turner to leave town a winner.

"I think it's all love at the end of the day," Turner said, referring to his ex-teammates. "There's plenty of guys that, you know, show love, too. But we're rivals now, you know what I mean? So outside of basketball is one thing. But when it comes to between the lines, you know what is now." ___

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Stephanie White only had guard Caitlin Clark on the court for 13 games this season, but the Indiana Fever head coach showed strong support Friday for the injured star amid the ongoing CBA battle between the WNBA and its players.

Players association VP Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx went public last week with a conversation she had recently with league commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who allegedly told her Clark and others “should be on their knees” in appreciation due to the platform the league has given them.

Engelbert later denied ever making those comments about Clark.

“I hate it all for Caitlin. You know, she’s a 23-year-old kid who loves to play this game who is a pawn in a lot of other people’s games and a lot of other people’s narratives,” White said Friday on the Query & Company on 107.5 The Fan in Indianapolis. “And I hate that for her.”

“She is so mature for her age…I mean, think back to when we were 23 years old. Holy cow. But she’s so mature. She has people in her corner and people that can help her. She gets it. She understands the big picture.”

The Fever lost in the league semifinals to the Las Vegas Aces, but Clark didn’t play after July 13 due to quad and groin injuries.

The former Iowa star had won Rookie of the Year honors in 2024 after averaging 19.2 points and 8.4 assists in 40 games.

“No one outside of a Tiger Woods, a Serena Williams, you can probably name just maybe a handful more of athletes who have been the game changers and who have experienced what Caitlin Clark is experiencing,” White said. “(Other than that), no one can really relate to what she’s going through.

“I think the biggest thing is we can be there for her. We can offer perspective and do what we can to help deflect and navigate. But at the same time, it’s a life that she has to lead. And I think she does it admirably … with so much grace and humility.”

Collier had pointedly questioned WNBA leadership, and Engelbert specifically, during her prepared statement after the Lynx season ended in the semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury.

“It’s a tough question because I do believe that where we are and where we have been, especially from a business standpoint, it’s what we’ve needed,” White said. “I do think that there’s another layer and level to having someone who understands the basketball side of the league and whether that’s direct leadership or whether that’s building out our basketball operations, our department within the league.”

White’s suggestion was to have more former players involved in the game’s basketball operations.

“The more that we can get people who have grown up in this league who don’t see this league as it was 10 years ago, as it was 15 years ago. You’ve got to see the league for what it is now and where it’s going,” White said. “The WNBA is not what it was 10 years ago. And I do think that there are some folks in leadership positions who still think of it that way.

“Your employees are your No. 1 asset. We are at a pivotal moment. We are at a time where all things have to be considered, and where multiple truths do exist certainly. I think that sometimes right now in our country and in our world, we forget that multiple truths can exist. But we are at that point to begin to have these very hard conversations about what it looks like moving forward.”

More Indianapolis residents will have access to job training next year.

In September, United Way of Central Indiana awarded a total of $900,000 to five local community organizations to help get Hoosiers training and into jobs. The initiative, now in its second year, aims to make job training more accessible to Indianapolis residents.

“We want those residents and neighbors to be credentialed,” said Bernadette Monk, economic mobility director at United Way of Central Indiana. “We want them to get employed and be employed fairly quickly.”

The organization renewed grants with Dress for Success Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Urban League and gave new funding to the Indiana Plan, Fathers and Families Center and Public Advocates in Community re-Entry, also known as PACE.

Here’s more about the program and how to get involved.

What’s the program?

Last year, United Way started its Workforce Pathways Accelerator program with grants to Dress for Success Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Urban League.

Dress for Success, which provides professional clothes and employment resources to Indianapolis women, started its medical administrative assistant training program in January. The organization chose this pathway because it was relatively quick — just 12 weeks — and had lots of job openings.

“Many times, the programming that’s available just will not work for a single mom,” said Julie Petr, executive director for Dress for Success Indianapolis. “So the need was very, very high.”

As of October, about 40 women have gone through the training program. And in their second year, Dress for Success is thinking about switching it up and offering different classes in the health care field, though they’re still deciding on what those might be.

How will this benefit the community?

Corey Parchman, vice president of programs and partnerships at Fathers and Families Center, said United Way’s new funding comes at a time when job training is more important than ever.

“Our men are the canary in the coal mine, when it comes to the job market,” said Parchman. “When things slow down, they’re the first ones to feel it.”

Men enter Fathers and Families Center through the Strong Fathers program, a three-week class that teaches parenting and life skills. Participants also earn their forklift certificate.

After completing the class, fathers are eligible for all the other classes and services offered at the center, including free clothing and rent support.

Fathers and Families hopes to use the $200,000 from United Way to fund its construction training program, which helps fathers get certified in construction and connects them to union jobs after.

“We want to upskill our man as much as possible while they’re here,” said Parchman.

Each organization is offering a providing type of training. Here’s what each nonprofit is offering, the requirements to enroll and how to get in touch with them.

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.

Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.