Two years ago, Tyrese Haliburton’s girlfriend, Jade Jones, stood with her family and friends in front of a screen watching a Pacers game. While it may be just another night for Jones supporting her boyfriend of six years, it became special as the entire family wore black t-shirts repping the point guard’s face. The two have been together since 2019 when they met at their college Iowa State. Since then, whether it’s appearing at his games in Sacramento then Indiana or flying all the way to Paris for the Olympics, Jones has shown her support for the face of the Pacers franchise. But the backing didn’t end there.

When Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend Connor McCaffery joined the Pacers’ crew, the four became inseparable buddies. And the self-approved “biggest cheerleader” of Haliburton became Clark’s fan too as the Iowa alum entered the Indiana Fever. No doubt, Hali and Jones are often seen seated courtside or in the suite, howling out with the Indy crowd for the beloved No. 22 and with the NBA season wrapped up, they have been a constant presence. However, something caught the camera as the Fever hosted the Golden State Valkyries at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

After a break before the half time, the cameras turned to show Hali on the screen kick back in his usual suite at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The city’s sweetheart hilariously tried to hide his face with his grey hoodie, waving ‘Hi’ to everyone on the screen. And then came Indiana beat reporter Scott Agness’ tweet: “Tyrese Haliburton watching Fever-Valkyries from a suite, per usual.” It was a feel-good moment—until the internet connected the dots. Enter Jade Jones.

Sharing a photo on her IG story, Haliburton’s longtime girlfriend was clearly seated courtside, legs crossed, a red Miu Miu Wander Matelassé Hobo bag perched in her lap to match her red and cream Nike sneakers. The Fever logo glared from midcourt. It was everything you’d expect from a luxe-but-lowkey courtside fit. Everything, except Haliburton. So, wait—why weren’t they sitting together?

For a couple as visible and well-established as Jones and Haliburton, the distance between the suite and the sideline felt… off. Especially given the Fever’s prominence and the fact that both were clearly present in the building. Maybe she wanted a front-row seat to the Caitlin Clark show while he preferred the privacy of the suite. It possibly was the case.

Hali has been nursing his right leg injury still and probably wanted some leg space to relax while still wanting to support Clark and Co. as he did in their last home game. In fact, he wasn’t even alone. Pat Boylan, announcer of the game, also introduced, “Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton on hand watching the Indiana Fever this afternoon. He’s been in back-to-back games here for Fever in that suite. Fortunately, he’s had that rest on that right leg for quite some time. There’s a Pacers assistant (Mike) Weinar in the building as well. So cool to see these two teams support each other.”

The couple has always looked solid—from All-Star weekend red carpets to international flights for Team USA. But timing, optics, and the ever-watchful eye of social media can flip a narrative fast. On the other hand, Caitlin Clark’s return party turned into a Bay Area beatdown with the point guard on minute limitations, and it wasn’t pretty. The kind of loss that sticks with you—like Pacers‘ Game 7.

Even Tyrese Haliburton might’ve winced watching it unfold. When the vibes are off that bad, the scoreboard’s just salt on the wound.

Tyrese Haliburton has peak comfort watching a Fever loss

Nope, it wasn’t a Fever dream. Instead, a highly anticipated Clark return was just given bitter flashbacks of heartbreak to the NBA Finals games in the same arena. She finally made her return to the lineup after five games on the sidelines, nursing that stubborn left groin. But then…they lost? Wow, that wasn’t on the agenda.

To be fair, sitting 7th at the table wasn’t on the agenda either. It’s bad enough that they came off the back of two losses on the trot. Maybe they just weren’t used to it – since when did health start being a factor for Clark? She’d played every game till her first stint on the sidelines earlier this season. And it’s been a broken tape recorder since then. This was supposed to cap off the misery with a bang. But what happened instead? A disappointing 61-80 loss to the Valkyries at home base with Caitlin clocking in a fair 10/5/6 in 25 minutes.

Indiana sports really do come together like a big ol’ family—passion, pride, and just a dash of drama. So when Tyrese Haliburton pulled up to watch Caitlin Clark and the Fever take an L, you’d expect Jade to be by his side, right? Despite being in the same arena, the two kept their distance. Which, of course, sends the internet spiraling. And in Indiana, where basketball is gospel, even a small courtside vs. suite sighting can spark a full-blown saga. But hey, again, it just might be Jade supporting her friend Clark from the sideline and Hali not being able to come all the way down through the public.