Who Is Caitlin Clark's Boyfriend? All About Connor McCaffery

The record-breaking NCAA women’s basketball player is dating former University of Iowa athlete Connor McCaffery

Meet Caitlin Clark’s #1 fan.

The University of Iowa athlete — who made history as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball on Feb. 15 — is dating Connor McCaffery, a fellow basketball player and former Hawkeye himself.

The couple’s relationship became public in August 2023 when Clark posted a photo with Connor on her Instagram. “The best end of summer,” she captioned the carousel, which featured pictures of the popular couple side by side on a boat.

In January, Connor posted a tribute to Clark on her 22nd birthday. “Happy birthday 22. I wish I was here to celebrate with you – you deserve the best day. The Golden Bday/T Swift year will be the best yet,” he wrote. “With all that you have already achieved, there is much more waiting for you and your special self. I admire you in every way and I love you.”

Connor’s prediction that there would be “more to come” for Clark was correct. A month later, the basketball star cemented her name in the history books when she surpassed Kelsey Plum’s 3,527 points during Iowa’s victory over Michigan in February.

The former basketball player showed his support for Clark’s record-breaking achievement, along with some of the biggest names in the sport like Tom Brady, Billie Jean King and Brittney Griner.

Read on to find out more about Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend, Connor McCaffery.

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He works for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers

Connor landed a job in professional sports after graduating from the University of Iowa in May 2023. He works as a support staff member for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.

During his time at Iowa, Connor was a two-way athlete. When he wasn’t coaching or competing with his team, he was working on his dual degrees in finance and political science.

Connor accepted the Pacers’ offer shortly after graduating in May. His approach to the business is “all hands on deck,” he told the Des Moines Register.

“I’ll play fake defense, run the scout team, help the coaches with film stuff, help with video projects if they need to, scout reports if they need to,” he explained. “Whatever is required of you, be ready to do.”

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He is a former D1 basketball player

Connor McCaffery #30 Iowa Hawkeyes January 14, 2020

Justin Casterline/Getty

Connor played basketball for the University of Iowa. He was a four-star recruit, arriving at Iowa in the 2017 recruiting class.

The former Iowa guard not only excelled on the court, but also excelled in his studies, earning the team’s Academic Excellence Award for five seasons.

Connor was also named a five-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, three-time NABC Honors Court, two-time Academic All-District First Team, two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and NABC Honors Court, according to Hawkeye Sports.

He is Fran McCaffery’s son

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Connor McCaffery #30 hugs his father, head coach Fran McCaffery.

Matthew Holst/Getty

Connor is the son of Fran McCaffery, head basketball coach at the University of Iowa, who coached at the school for 14 years.

“We don’t know anything else,” Fran told The Gazette of himself and his longtime coaching partner Tom Izzo in February 2024. “We started coaching right out of college and were grinding our way into the coaching profession.”

“The daily environment of young people keeps you young. I don’t look at my job any differently today than I did in 1983. I know it sounds strange, but it’s true.”

Fran has been coaching since 1983 and is currently in his 28th season as head coach. Before Iowa, he was the head coach at Lehigh University, UNC Greensboro and Siena — and played college basketball himself.

The acclaimed coach played one season at Wake Forest before transferring to Penn.

He is also interested in a coaching career

Connor McCaffery #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes talks with his head coach and father, Fran McCaffery, during a game against the Seton Hall Pirates at the Prudential Center on Nov. 16, 2022.

Porter Binks/Getty

Like his father, Connor has his sights set on a coaching career. When he spoke with the Des Moines Register, he shared his plan to learn the basics with his NBA job with the Indiana Pacers.

“That’s the entrance,” Connor told the outlet. “It’s an entry-level job. You have to work hard and work your way up. That’s obviously what I want to do.”

Meanwhile, his mom, Margaret McCaffery, prefers that he take a different path — perhaps one aligned with his two degrees to avoid the stresses that might come with a coaching job.

“Selfishly, that’s why I didn’t want him to go into coaching,” she said Sports Illustrated in March 2023 “It’s excruciating to watch my husband. I don’t expect it to be any better watching my son.”

“There are great things about (coaching) and hard things about it,” Margaret continued. “I’m looking forward to him revealing it all. And we’ll be there to support him in whatever he does.”

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He is also a baseball player

Before focusing on college basketball, Connor was a standout baseball player. He played both corner outfield and first base.

The two-way athlete started 22 baseball games as a redshirt freshman in 2018-19, reported Sports Illustrated. D1Baseball.com rated him as the seventh-best draft prospect in the Big Ten and the 231st-best prospect nationally.

Connor had the potential to go far in the game, and the Des Moines Register claims he is “on track” to enter the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.

However, Connor’s injuries and health complications hindered his dynamic in the sport. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the baseball season that year.

He celebrated Caitlin Clark’s historic achievement

Caitlin Clark and Connor McCaffery.

Connor McCaffery/Instagram

Connor showed his support for Clark after she became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball during Iowa’s 106-89 win over Michigan on February 15, 2024.

“So proud,” he wrote on his Instagram Story, with a shot of Clarke’s long 3-pointer in the first quarter that cemented her name in the history books. “I love you 22.”

Clark’s record total of 3,569 points (and counting) surpassed Kelsey Plum’s 3,527 points.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education