Fox News' Aishah Hasnie Talks Crazy Pacers Fandom, Caitlin Clark With OutKick

Aishah Hasnie is a Fox News Channel senior national correspondent and one of the best reporters anywhere on television. She is also a hardcore fan of the Indiana Pacers.

Aishah sat down with OutKick to discuss her favorite team as well as Caitlin Clark ahead of the Pacers' Game 7 matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

You aren't going to like this one, Knicks fans…

Bobby Burack: When did you first become a fan of the Pacers?

Aishah Hasnie: Oh my gosh. So, Bobby, I don't know if you know anything about me. I'm from Indiana. I grew up in southern Indiana after moving to the state when I was 12 years old. My brother was originally a huge fan of the Pacers and, obviously, the legend Reggie Miller.

Basketball is part of our DNA in Indiana. We're talking Bobby Knight, Damon Bailey country. This is our culture.

Growing up, I loved it all. I loved the Pacers and IU basketball. I also lived in Indianapolis for seven and a half years, and I was very close with the Pacers organization. The team and the front office are amazing. Everyone there is so awesome, and I went to so many of their games.

What's cool is that I have always been a big Pacers fan, and now we have all these new fans jumping in and joining us, realizing what a great group of boys we have. It's just so much fun seeing what's happening.

From Aishah Hasnie.

Burack: What do you say about  the reporters and TV hosts complaining that they have to camp out in Indianapolis to cover the NBA Finals instead of Los Angeles, New York, or Miami? Aishah, they don't like it. Defend your city.

Hasnie: Oh, it's the worst. The worst, Bobby. I'm actually spending my summer vacation in Indiana. How is that? And I'm enjoying it so much because we have such great weather right now. Yeah, yeah, it's really hot and we have tornado watches in the morning. (**That is her sarcastic voice.**)

Okay, in all seriousness, here's the thing: I saw a sports anchor the other day—I don't remember her name—saying that if you are complaining about the Finals, you aren't a real basketball fan. It's so true.

If you love basketball and you love the game, then you should love watching these two teams every single game. When watching them, you almost need a pacemaker. They keep you on the edge of your seats.

People complained for so long that we would get the same teams over and over again, like the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. It was the same teams, the same starts, and the same people. Now, we finally get a break from all that. We get to see new teams and new stars. Basketball fans should love this.

Also, a lot of this complaining is coming from Knicks fans. I don't take Knicks fans seriously.

Burack. That seems like a shot.

Hasnie: I will hate on Knicks fans any day. They are always complaining. Please, just stop.

Burack: I noticed on social media that a lot of Knicks fans are talking trash to you.

Hasnie: Oh, I am aware. 

Look, I used to live in New York City. I love New York City. I am a Yankees fan. But New York is not basketball country. It's just not. And a lot of people in New York are not from New York. They aren't real Knicks fans.

I am sorry. In Indiana, it's different. We live and breathe the game. It just is what it is.

Burack: This is going to be one of the more controversial interviews in OutKick history. Where do you stand on the refs going into Game 7? Is SGA a free-throw merchant?

Hasnie: Yes, oh my gosh. Am I screaming at the refs every game? Yes, I am. Every game. Do I get upset? Yes, absolutely, I do.

Everybody has their own conspiracy theories about the refs. And the Knicks series was so tough to watch when it came to that. But, somehow, we prevailed. 

Look, we can complain and complain about the refs but we can't change it. We got to deal with the refs we get. You have to deal with the cards you are dealt. So, you just have to play through it and be the better team.

Burack: How do you plan to watch Game 7? Do you prefer to watch alone?

Hasnie: No, no. Actually, I am probably the most annoying person to watch a game with. I get a little crazy and nutty. I start yelling. I start pacing. The other night, I was with a friend and I started doing jumping jacks and running in place during the game. I have to. My heart just starts racing. I get really into it, Bobby.

My brother is the same way. We are such aggressive basketball fans.

I will be back in DC for Game 7, and I'll be with a bunch of friends. It's funny. One of my friends asked me if I'd rather watch alone. I said, "No, I need someone to call 911 in case I pass out."

And no matter what happens, I will be super proud. I'll be wearing my glitter jacket. I bought a sequin jacket and had my dad help me. He loves my crazy projects. We put a Pacers patch on it. I'll be blinged-out wearing my Pacers jacket all game.

Burack: Speaking of basketball in Indiana, your city is the epicenter of the WNBA. I assume you are a Caitlin Clark fan. Has all the attention on her been exciting for you or disappointing, given all the drama, negativity, and on-court fighting?

Hasnie: Man, it's honestly hard to tell when I am watching whether I'm watching basketball or WWE. It's crazy!

It's the same goal for every league. You want to fill seats, sell tickets, and get people to take note. You want the attention. However, I don't think you want this kind of attention. It's getting hard to watch. You almost don't want to watch it anymore.

We were talking about the refs in the NBA. The WNBA came out and admitted that things should have been handled differently in that big brawl between Cailtin Clark and the players on the Sun this week. They probably should have ejected Marina Mabrey.

But what's happening is not pretty. It doesn't make the WNBA look good. This has been going on and happening to Caitlin for way too long.

Do I think her teammates should have stepped in to defend her sooner by taking other girls down? I don't condone violence. It shouldn't happen in the NBA or WNBA. But it has gotten to a point where you have to wonder what else can be done? And why isn't the league doing more to protect one of its players?

Hopefully, after all this, that starts to change. It's not giving the league a good reputation. No one I am talking to here in Indiana thinks this is being handled appropriately.

Burack: Who is your favorite athlete ever?

Hasnie: Ohhh, you are going to kill me. Okay, I am just going to say it. I am a '90s kid. I originally loved Michael Jordan. Obviously. But, whatever, I'll just say it: Reggie Miller. 

He is the person who really made me fall in love with basketball. I was just a kid and he was our hometown hero. The fact that he's still around means a lot.

Burack: We have a mutual friend in Lisa Boothe. She is awesome. So talented and deserves her own show. But people may not know she is secretly a sports expert (maybe with the help of her dad). Every time she makes a sports pick, she is right. Deion Sanders, the Super Bowl, etc. etc.  It's uncanny. Have you ever thought about converting her into a Pacers fan to bring you some good luck before Game 7?

Hasnie: I so, so should. I will text her right now. She is probably a Miami Heat fan. Honestly, I think she would be easy to convert.

I have been recruiting people to be Pacers fans. I converted Bret Baier. So, I think I can convert Lisa.

Burack: Finally, what do you have coming up that you want the OutKick readers to know about?

Hasnie: Well, I cover Capitol Hill. So reconciliation is our Super Bowl. It's such a nerdy thing, Bobby. Nobody really cares about it outside of Capitol Hill or Washington, but it is important stuff. And I think that's going to be the big thing that we're covering. And obviously, what's happening in the Middle East. Those are two things that I'm going to be covering for the foreseeable future.

But, you know, talking about the Pacers is nice because it's what we love about this country. We have these things that give us a break from the action.

As an immigrant in this country, we are so fortunate that we don't have to obsess only over the negative. Sure, we could be stressed out all the time about what's happening in the world, but we don't have to. We have things like basketball that remind us that life is also fun.

The Pacers stress me out, but in a fun way. We all need that. It's so important. It's a joy. I'm having so much fun right now.