Meet WNBA star Caitlin Clark’s supportive boyfriend, Connor McCaffery: the fellow Hawkeye at the University of Iowa is now on staff with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers – but he was almost an MLB draft pick

Jul 25 , 2024

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6KV_a_tByg/?igsh=Yms3eDlrYjluYzBw ig @caitlinclark22

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

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.

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

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

Connor McCaffery also played baseball while at the University of Iowa. Photo: @connor_m30/Instagram