Indiana Pacers' Jenny Boucek One Win Away From Making NBA History; Could Become First Woman To...

Indiana Pacers assistant Jenny Boucek isn’t focused on becoming the first woman to be a primary assistant coach on a team that wins the NBA championship.

Her current goal is simply to be part of a title-winning team.

Boucek is aware of the potential historic moment in these NBA Finals. She’s the first woman to be among the front-row assistants (the coaches who sit on the front row of the bench) for a team in the NBA Finals. She and the Pacers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 on Sunday night to decide this season’s champion.

Boucek, who played briefly in the WNBA and overseas before turning to coaching, finds herself in a significant position.

The NBA season will conclude on Sunday night, with either the Pacers or the Thunder becoming the league’s seventh different champion in the last seven years. This marks the first winner-take-all game in the NBA Finals since 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors.

For the Pacers, a victory would mean their first NBA title, capping off a season that began with the team struggling due to injuries and starting with a 10-15 record over the first 25 games. No team has ever recovered from being below .500 so deep into the season to win a championship.

For the Thunder, a win would also be their first NBA title — sort of. The Seattle SuperSonics, the team’s previous incarnation before relocating to Oklahoma City, won a title in 1979, but the Thunder don’t recognise it as their own. This season, the Thunder scored more points than any other team in NBA history and posted the best record.

“I’m very much looking forward to Game 7," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “The last time we had one of these in the finals was ’16. These moments are special for both teams, our league, and the global interest in the game. It’s a time to celebrate."

However, only one team will celebrate on Sunday night, and Boucek hopes to be on the winning side.

(with agency inputs)