Jenny Boucek, the Pacers assistant who blended NFL and NBA for a play that changed Indiana’s season

When Tyrese Haliburton hit a dramatic four-point play against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 11, most fans saw it as another clutch moment in his breakout season. But behind the shot was a play drawn from an entirely different sport, and a coach whose journey has been anything but conventional.

That coach was the Indiana Pacers’ lead assistant Jenny Boucek, the architect for what might be the most pivotal out-of-bounds play of the Pacers’ season. The inspiration? Semipro flag football.

A football play in an NBA game

The setup looked more like a shotgun formation than a basketball play: four players lined up behind half court like wide receivers, each running a different route toward the basket. The inbounder played the role of quarterback, scanning the field for the open target.

It was Boucek’s brainchild, something she first conceived decades ago during her time playing semipro flag football while also coaching in the WNBA for the Miami Sol. She refined the concept over the years, even working with Hall of Fame point guard Sue Bird during her time with the Seattle Storm.

And when Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle needed something bold to keep Indiana’s playoff hopes alive, he turned to Boucek and that unorthodox design. The result? Haliburton hit the game-tying shot, drew a foul, and converted a rare four-point play that swung momentum for the Pacers in the tightly packed Eastern Conference. They’re now leading the NBA Finals 2-1 over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Cross-sport innovation

While NFL and NBA playbooks seem worlds apart, Boucek saw something different: patterns, space, and timing. It’s the same strategic thinking NFL coaches use to stretch defenses and create mismatches, applied here to confuse NBA defenders expecting traditional basketball movement.

This kind of cross-sport innovation is rare in the NBA, and even rarer when it comes from a woman on the sidelines of a male-dominated sport. Boucek’s background - from playing in the WNBA, to coaching, to raising her daughter as a single mom while climbing NBA coaching ranks - makes her one of the most quietly groundbreaking figures in basketball today.

More than just a play

That moment against the Bucks was more than just clever Xs and Os. It was a symbol of Boucek’s path, blending intellect, creativity, and resilience. As the Pacers continue their deep playoff run, she’s proving she can coach at the highest level. And with the NBA increasingly embracing innovation from outside traditional sources, Boucek’s football-inspired play might just be the future of where coaching is headed.

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