Caitlin Clark may be the hottest draft pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, but she is already off the market in the romance department.
The college basketball star and fellow Iowa alum Connor McCaffery made their relationship Instagram-official in August 2023.
Since then, McCaffrey has been one of Clark’s biggest cheerleaders — often attending her games and supporting her on social media.
Keep scrolling to learn more about McCaffery.
He was an athlete at Iowa
Caitlin Clark and Connor McCaffery are the University of Iowa’s power couple! Connor McCaffery / Instagram Like Clark, McCaffery also played basketball for the Hawkeyes. Getty ImagesExplore More
McCaffery was a two-sport athlete coming into the University of Iowa, recruited to play basketball and baseball.
The Iowa native was on track to enter the MLB draft in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in his plans, per the Des Moines Register.
Due to injuries and fallout from the pandemic, McCaffery ultimately decided to hang up his cleats and focus on basketball.
His father, Fran McCaffery, has been the men’s basketball coach for nearly 14 years. Getty Images Connor graduated from Iowa with a dual bachelor’s degree in 2023. Getty ImagesMcCaffery played for his father, Fran McCaffery, who has been the head coach of the men’s basketball team since 2010, for six seasons before leaving Iowa in 2023.
During his collegiate career, the six-foot-five shooting guard averaged 4.5 points, 3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 0.9 turnovers per game. By the end of his career, McCaffery left as the program’s all-time leader in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Despite hailing from a family of athletes, McCaffrey has no relation to San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffery.
He works for the NBA
Following graduation, he got a job with the Indiana Pacers. connor_m30/Instagram Despite working as a team assistant, the former athlete dreams of being an NBA coach. connor_m30/InstagramAlthough Connor didn’t move on to play basketball professionally, he followed in his father’s footsteps and was hired as a team assistant to the Indiana Pacers shortly after graduating.
“I’ll play dummy defense, run the scout team, help coaches on film stuff, help on video projects if they need, scouting reports if they need,” Connor told the Register of his new career. “It’s kind of all-hands on deck, whatever you’re asked to do, be ready to do it.”
“It’s a way in. It’s an entry-level job,” he added. “You’ve got to work hard and work your way up. That’s obviously what I want to do.”
Connor, who has a dual bachelor’s degree in finance and political science, is working to become the head coach of an NBA team one day.
Meanwhile, Clark is also expected to be selected by Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Getty Images If she is selected by the Fever, the couple will live in Indianapolis post-grad. Connor McCaffery/Instagram“I’ve always been under my dad’s shadow and tutelage. Now, learning from someone like coach (Rick) Carlisle … and the assistants they have there, they’re all good basketball minds … I’m just going to try to take everything in.”
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It just so happens that the Indiana Fever have the first pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.
With Clark — who is the NCAA’s Division-I all-time leading scorer, male or female — expected to go No.1 overall, the couple is likely to reside together in Indianapolis for the foreseeable future.
He is the ultimate hype man
While it’s unclear exactly how long the pair have been dating, they went Instagram-official in August 2023. Connor McCaffery/Instagram Since then, Connor has shown the superstar constant support online. Connor McCaffery/InstagramDue to his busy job, even when Connor isn’t in the stands to cheer on his superstar girlfriend, the former athlete often shows his support online.
Following Clark’s lights-out performance against LSU in the elite eight game — where she dropped 41 points — Connor told his Instagram followers he was “out of words” to describe her amazing performance.
“She was special tonight ????,” he tweeted at the time.
Connor even sang his leading lady’s praise after the Iowa Hawkeye’s championship loss to the South Caroline Gamecocks on April 7, 2024.
He called Clark the “greatest of all time” following her performance in the national championship game in April 2024. Getty Images Clark closed her collegiate career as the NCAA’s Division-I all-time leading scorer for both men’s and women’s basketball. Getty Images“My GOAT,” he wrote above a photo of Clark leaving the arena with her head held high. (GOAT stands for “Greatest Of All Time.”)
Despite constantly applauding his girlfriend’s accomplishments online, Connor has only shared one non-sports-related post about Clark to his feed.
“Happy Birthday 22 ???????????? Wish I was there to celebrate with you – you deserve the best day ❤️,” he wrote alongside a carousel of the couple in January 2024.
“Golden Bday / T Swift year will be the best yet. With all that you’ve already accomplished, there is so much more in store for you and your special self. I admire you in every way and I love you ????.”
