The ladies are back on the court for some WNBA action. Resuming the paused season yesterday after a long hiatus, everyone was eagerly waiting to see rookie Caitlin Clark do what she does best. As expected, CC did not disappoint as she caught fire early during tonight’s Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury game. The night turned even more special as the franchise honored its former executive Jim Morris, who passed away last month.

With the Gainbridge Fieldhouse packed for tonight’s encounter, the Pacers Sports and Entertainment introduced a new banner to the rafters hanging alongside the banners of several Pacers and Fever legends including Reggie Miller and Tamika Catchings. Sure enough, the new banner belonged to Indiana’s own Jim Morris who was the vice chairman of Pacers Sports and Entertainment since 2007. Unfortunately, the legend passed away in July at the age of 81 but left a huge imprint on Indiana basketball.

Even Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton and Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings were in attendance and sitting courtside to witness Morris’ name go up in the rafters and also enjoy Caitlin Clark’s magic on the court. Picking up right where she left off, Clark opened tonight’s game strong and went off for 16 points in the first half to give Fever a commanding lead.

Right before the season was paused due to the Paris Olympics, Clark had one of the best performances of her young career as she scored 24 points and a career-high 19 assists against the Dallas Wings. However, that was not enough to get Indiana the win. But she desperately wanted to begin the second half of the season with a win and finished tonight’s game with 29 points and ten assists to get Indiana their twelfth win of the season. Moreover, a win was the perfect way to honor Jim Morris’ legacy.

Jim Morris: “A true servant leader”

Although basketball was a big part of Morris’ life being the chairman for several years, he also had a huge impact beyond the court. Long before he joined Pacers Sports and Entertainment, he was the chief of staff for Indiana’s former mayor Richard G. Lugar from 1967-73. Then, Morris transitioned to a front office role as the President for Lilly Endowment for four years in the 80s followed by CEO of IWC Resources Corporation and Indianapolis Water Company until 2002. Before joining the Pacers five years later, he briefly worked for the United Nations World Food Program as the executive director.

Dedicating most of his life to the betterment of the people in Indiana, he surely turned into a legend in the state. After his sudden passing last month, Governor Eric Holcomb issued a statement saying, “Indiana lost a favorite son and true servant leader.” Meanwhile, Pacers Sports and Entertainment owner Herb Simon was also gutted by Morris’ passing, “There are no words that would do justice to how consequential Jim’s life truly was. To his very last day, he was hard at work bringing people together to help those most in need and make our city and our state stronger, more civil, and more united. No one loved Indiana and Indianapolis more than Jim.”

Even though Jim is no longer with us, his legacy will live on with the brilliant work that he did and the relationships he built throughout his amazing life.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger