The WNBA’s No 1 draft pick this year might reportedly be getting a lot of hate from other players in the league, but Caitlin Clark has her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, to support her through it all. The two clearly have a lot in common – they’re both University of Iowa alumni and Hawkeyes. (McCaffery played on the college’s men’s basketball team.
) The two athletes were reportedly introduced by McCaffery’s brother Patrick and dated for several months before making their relationship Instagram official in August 2023. They usually keep details of their relationship private – but that doesn’t stop them from giving each other cute shout-outs on social media. In July, Clark shared a carousel of couple photos on her Instagram with a cheeky caption to celebrate McCaffery’s 26th birthday.
“Happy Birthday Con! Celebrating you is easy. Thankful to have someone as selfless and as loving as you in my life,” she wrote, adding, “May this be the year you finally find a way to outshoot me. Love you always.
” Her post was also peppered with heart and smile emojis. {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Indiana Fevers star Caitlin Clark and boyfriend Connor McCaffery pose in front of a mirror.
Photo: @caitlinclark22/Instagram","url":"https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/25/5e594dd9-2b43-4a21-889a-98cf735b9c3d_8a66ae79.
jpg"} Indiana Fevers star Caitlin Clark and boyfriend Connor McCaffery pose in front of a mirror. Photo: @caitlinclark22/Instagram McCaffery’s rebuttal in the post’s comment section was equally glib. “Thank u b.
Love you forever,” he wrote, adding in another comment, “And I’ll keep letting you win those shooting contests!!!!!” Here’s what you need to know about Connor McCaffery. Connor McCaffery comes from a family of athletes {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"A 2019 photo showing Connor McCaffery on court wearing his Hawkeyes uniform at the University of Iowa.
Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram","url":"https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/25/0d65ac3f-1557-4f0b-aac2-6e7fb2832023_08b5a4fe.
jpg"} A 2019 photo showing Connor McCaffery on court wearing his Hawkeyes uniform at the University of Iowa. Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram McCaffery played for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team from 2017 to 2023, with his all-time best scoring average of 6.2 points per game coming in the 2019-2020 season.
Much like Clark, McCaffery’s love for the sport began at a young age thanks to being born into a family of athletes . McCaffery’s father Fran has been a collegiate level basketball coach for over 40 years, per the University of Iowa, and has been the Hawkeyes’ head coach since 2011. Per Women’s Health, Connor’s mum, Margaret, was also a star basketball player at the University of Notre Dame.
Both Connor and his younger brother Patrick followed their parents’ lead and played for the Hawkeyes throughout their college careers. He almost made it to Major League Baseball {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Connor McCaffery also played baseball while at the University of Iowa.
Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram","url":"https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/25/64af31e2-b2c3-41bc-9e32-55f65fea7a74_7390c88c.
jpg"} Connor McCaffery also played baseball while at the University of Iowa. Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram While McCaffery ultimately embarked on a career in basketball, he nurtured a passion for baseball, too. Hawk Central reported that McCaffery arrived at the University of Iowa in 2017 with the ambitious goal of playing both basketball and baseball.
He made headway in both sports and was even on track to enter the Major League Baseball’s 2020 draft. However, a series of unfortunate events – illnesses, injuries and the pandemic, per Women’s Health – and a wish to be a Hawkeye alongside his brother, ended his baseball career and prompted him to focus on basketball instead. He made his NBA start as a team assistant {"@context":"https://schema.
org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Connor McCaffery greets girlfriend Caitlin Clark after a game at the University of Iowa. Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram","url":"https://img.i-scmp.
com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/25/29f6a596-3d4c-4d3b-9887-3064f6260e56_7390c88c.jpg"} Connor McCaffery greets girlfriend Caitlin Clark after a game at the University of Iowa. Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram After finishing his university career in 2023, McCaffery landed a job as a team assistant with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, per Sporting News.
He’s humble about his start in professional basketball, saying, “It’s a way in. It’s an entry-level job. You’ve got to work hard and work your way up,” per Women’s Health.
Apparently, McCaffery’s wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps since “practically forever”, even watching game tapes with his dad while in kindergarten. His job with the Pacers was a stroke of luck since, just one year later, Clark was drafted to the WNBA’s Indiana Fever as their No 1 pick. This unexpected bit of kismet has comforted Clark, who has found herself at the centre of attention as the NCAA women’s basketball’s all-time leading scorer.
“It’s great – obviously it makes the transition a little bit easier ...
Connor being there is tremendous. I couldn’t imagine a better place to start my professional career,” Clark shared in an interview with IndyStar. Connor McCaffrey and Caitlin Clark are each other’s biggest fans {"@context":"https://schema.
org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"In April, Connor McCaffery celebrated his one year anniversary with girlfriend Caitlin Clark by sharing this black and white photo on social media. Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram","url":"https://img.i-scmp.
com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/25/fec3dab4-f0e5-4af2-b75c-27adb4f8cefd_7390c88c.jpg"} In April, Connor McCaffery celebrated his one year anniversary with girlfriend Caitlin Clark by sharing this black and white photo on social media. Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram Between being pitted against fellow rookie Angel Reese and reports of suspected bullying and criticism from fellow WNBA players, Clark has found her biggest fan in McCaffery.
Since announcing their relationship on social media, McCaffery has been known to take to Instagram to express his love and support for his girlfriend. McCaffery ensures he’s there for every step of Clark’s on-court journey – win or lose. When Clark’s team lost to the South Carolina Gamecocks at the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball finals, he posted a photo of Clark on his Instagram Stories with the caption “My GOAT”.
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Connor McCaffery included this image of himself with his girlfriend Caitlin Clark in an Instagram carousel celebrating her 22nd birthday. Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram","url":"https://img.
i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/25/99abee32-136e-43d3-9790-ecfee79c2566_7390c88c.jpg"} Connor McCaffery included this image of himself with his girlfriend Caitlin Clark in an Instagram carousel celebrating her 22nd birthday.
Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram Recently, McCaffery was spotted running drills and shooting baskets with Clark at the Gainsbridge Fieldhouse arena, home to both the Fever and the Pacers, after the Fever’s win against the Atlanta Dream. The support system the couple has built goes both ways too. Clark, a rising star in her own right, attended many of the Pacers games during the NBA playoffs and even took to the court during halftime, tossing T-shirts to fans.
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Connor McCaffery gives girlfriend Caitlin Clark a piggy back ride. Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram","url":"https://img.
i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/25/e023d8d6-c3c1-49c5-8f8f-29d2772a75b3_7390c88c.jpg"} Connor McCaffery gives girlfriend Caitlin Clark a piggy back ride.
Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram Despite his unwavering support, some netizens recently criticised McCaffery for liking negative posts about Reese on social media. The media has also played up the supposed rivalry between Reese and Clark – especially the moment in April 2023 when Reese made a “can’t see me” gesture towards Clark. The players themselves put it down to on-court trash-talking, though pundits continue to make a fuss over the rivalry.
McCaffery is the son of the Hawkeyes’ long-time head coach, Fran McCaffery, and might have had a pro baseball career if fate, and Covid-19, hadn’t intervened while he was at university Clark and McCaffery were introduced by his brother Patrick and took their relationship public in August 2023; now she plays for Indiana Fever while he’s an assistant for the Pacers.
