Caitlin Clark is, without a doubt, one of the most popular basketball players in the world. The Indiana Fever star is fresh off a monster rookie season, one in which she led her Fever back to playoffs for the first time, ending a seven-year playoff drought.
Clark won the Rookie of the Year award and finished fourth in MVP voting in the WNBA, averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game.
While Clark continues to shine in the WNBA, her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, hopes to leave his own legacy in the basketball world. Here is everything you need to know about McCaffery and his relationship with Clark.
Who is Connor McCaffrey?
McCaffery and Clark met during their time together at the University of Iowa and started dating in April 2023; however, their relationship remained private for some time.
McCaffery’s time at Iowa was marred by injuries and a redshirt season due to COVID-19. Despite the setbacks, he played a key role in helping Iowa reach the NCAA Tournament in each of his seasons.
His father, Fran McCaffery, has been the head coach of the Hawkeyes for over 15 seasons.
In his final season for the Hawkeyes, Connor McCaffery started 22 games, helping Iowa to a 19-win season. Overall, he started 89 career games and recorded over 700 career points.
Perhaps most impressively, McCaffery’s 527 career assists rank sixth all-time in Iowa Men’s Basketball history.
McCaffery’s Post-Playing Career
After playing six seasons for the Iowa Hawkeyes, the former guard decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. He lent his basketball expertise to the Butler University Bulldogs, where he accepted a coaching job.
He previously spent time as a team assistant for the Indiana Pacers in 2023, helping run the scout team and working with the film study team before taking the job with Butler.
The Pacers made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals after finishing the season 47-35. However, they lost to the eventual NBA Champion Boston Celtics in a four-game sweep.
Now, Connor McCaffery could help a Butler team who, at 13-16, might have their glory days behind them.
Butler reached two straight National Championships, in 2010 and 2011, but lost to the Duke Blue Devils and the UConn Huskies, respectively. Those Bulldogs teams were coached by Brad Stevens, general manager of the Celtics team that defeated McCaffery’s Pacers.
Now under the leadership of former Ohio State head coach Thad Motta, who is in his third season with Butler, the Bulldogs are middle-of-the-pack at best. They have failed to cross the 20-win threshold in each of the last four seasons.
Connor McCaffery will have big shoes to fill, as his father, Fran McCaffery, has 928 career wins across four different Division 1 programs.
