Pat Boylan is living his dream

The Indianapolis native works for his hometown pro basketball teams. He is the play-by-play voice of the Indiana Fever and the host and sideline reporter for the Pacers radio network.

Candace Parker Keeps It Real on Fever Without Caitlin Clark!

A member of the  Boylan has enjoyed a front seat to the Caitlin Clark experience. This season, however, the Fever has had to overcome injuries to Clark to contend for a playoff spot.

We caught up with him to discuss the season, Clark, and how some of her teammates have thrived despite her absence.

Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

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Pat Boylan: “Fascinating. I think that’s probably the word I would use the most. It’s been frustrating at times, certainly, with Caitlin Clark not being available for more than half of the season. From an on-court perspective, that’s certainly been a challenge that was unanticipated. But when you broadcast sports or when you work for a team, you understand that that certainly can be the case. There were a lot of trials and tribulations at the beginning of the season. But watching this team lately kind of round into form to get to five games over .500 at one point was spectacular considering the circumstances.”

How would you describe the season Caitlin Clark has had so far?

“On the floor, it’s been a significant challenge, as it would be for any player. She’s had stretches where she plays four or five games and then sits out for four or five games and then is back for five. And then, unfortunately, the injury has hit again. She hasn’t had any ability to string together anything more than a couple of weeks’ worth of games. That’s quite obviously been the biggest challenge for her, and really for this team, is just gaining any continuity. In the 13 games, she’s had some signature moments: the triple-double on opening day, the game against New York on national TV, where she was spectacular. Unfortunately, she hasn’t been able to stay healthy enough this year.”

What’s the best example of Caitlin Clark’s popularity?

“I would say that she, already in her early 20s, is just about as popular as any athlete, professional or collegiate, in the history of the state. When you come to a Fever game day and you walk near the building, you see a sea of red and a sea of 22 jerseys and shirts. I think at the level that you would have seen 31 Reggie Miller jerseys, 18 Peyton Manning jerseys. It’s amazing to see the popularity at such a young age here in Indiana. She has an incredible following that comes with her from Iowa. But it’s been amazing to see just how quickly Hoosiers have adopted her as I would say already in the Mount Rushmore of most popular athletes in the history of this state.”

Do you get a sense that she gets tired of the discourse around her that doesn’t have to do with basketball?

“Well, I think it would be difficult not to. But if she does, she does a remarkable job of keeping that private. The reason that I would say that Caitlin Clark is the most spectacular athlete that I’ve ever had the good fortune to cover is because her ability off the court is just as good as her ability on the floor. You think about the spotlight that she has. She has never made a misstep in a press conference. She has never done anything controversial. She’s always said the right thing. And she’s done so with grace and poise.”

Given Caitlin Clark’s injuries, is Kelsey Mitchell having her best season?

“I would say so. She’s averaging a career-high in scoring. She’s been spectacular. Kelsey has been a fantastic player in this league since her rookie year. This is year eight, but she has been, in my opinion, an All-Star caliber player for eight seasons. I think one of the coolest parts of this whole Caitlin Clark experience is watching all of this new audience come in that maybe wasn’t watching the Fever before. They’re here for Caitlin Clark. But as they’ve come here and watched the Fever, it’s been incredible watching this fan base put their arms around Kelsey Mitchell.”

Another player who has gotten some national run late y is Sophie Cunningham. What can you tell us about her?

“She’s a firecracker. She’s infectious off the floor, on the floor as well. I think the Fever needed somebody exactly like Sophie Cunningham, who is not afraid to go out there and be the bad girl. She’s not afraid to go out there and have Caitlin Clark’s back when necessary. She’ll step up, knock down threes, play fierce defense, but is also somebody who will have the back of many of her teammates. Her fame has risen fairly dramatically here with this larger spotlight with the Fever. I think she’s done a great job with it. She hasn’t tried to make anything all about her.”

What do you think of the job Stephanie White has done so far?

“A couple of days ago, this team was five games over .500 for the first time since the 2015 team that she was coaching that went to the WNBA Finals. This team never got five games over .500 last year, and they had Caitlin Clark for the full season. I think it’s a testament to Stephanie. She’s one of those people and coaches who never gets too high or too low. I think having a coach like that is vital when you’re going through all of the challenges that the Fever faced at the beginning of the season. I think they’re going to come out better for it.”

What’s going to be a successful season for the Fever?

“Unquestionably, going to the playoffs. I think they view themselves as a team that absolutely should make a run. I’m somebody who believes that you can have successful seasons without winning a championship. The Pacers are a great example. At the same time, I think the Fever’s ceiling is still absolutely there. I think title contention is absolutely something that they’re capable of achieving, but at the same time, I think growth is important.”

What does it mean for you to be broadcasting in your hometown of Indianapolis?

“In a word, everything. When you get into broadcasting, and this certainly was true for me, I didn’t know where I was going to end up. And I assumed that it probably would not be in Indianapolis or Indiana. You have to go where the jobs go. I just hoped that I was lucky enough to find the type of jobs that are and were fulfilling. Regardless of where that was, I was willing to go.

“My first job right out of school was in Bismarck, North Dakota. I was there for a year, and the Pacers-Fever job opened up. I was fortunate as a 24-year-old who did not have the résumé probably necessary to take a job like this. The Pacers believed in me, and the Fever believed in me.”

Do you have a favorite childhood sports memory?

“I don’t have one specific memory, but when I think about growing up in the 90s, that was the height of the Reggie Miller-Pacers-Knicks rivalry. I grew up on Pacers-Knicks, and getting to go to what’s now called Gainbridge Fieldhouse. I think that fostered a lot of my love for broadcasting. When I was growing up, I was extremely lucky because the Pacers, the Fever, and the Colts were all good. It was easy to get excited about sports.”