Caitlin Clark became the face of college basketball as a whole during her final two seasons at Iowa.
She set the all-time NCAA Division I scoring record last season, and certainly is the most recognizable name in Iowa basketball history.
Still, the name “McCaffery” is well known in Iowa City in its own right. It’s the last name of both the men’s basketball program’s second-all-time winningest coach, Fran McCaffery, and his son, former standout guard Connor McCaffery.
Clark and Connor McCaffery are an item, forming an Iowa basketball power couple. Here’s what you need to know about Clark, former Hawkeyes star Connor McCaffery and their relationship timeline — and his connection to the Indiana Fever.
MORE: Clark explains hitting record-setting shot from logo
Who is Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend?
Clark is dating Connor McCaffery, who spent six seasons at Iowa before departing in 2023 to embark on a coaching career.
McCaffery was limited heavily in his first season with the Hawkeyes in 2017-18, missing two games due to a sprained ankle, eight due to mononucleosis, and 19 due to a tonsillectomy before ultimately redshirting for the campaign. He bounced back to appear in 34 games for his dad’s team as a redshirt freshman, averaging 4.4 points and 3.0 assists in 18.6 minutes per game.
As a redshirt sophomore for the 2019-20 season, he started all 31 games in which he appeared and averaged 6.2 points, 4.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 34.4 percent from the field. He and the Hawkeyes likely would have been headed to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in as many years, but COVID canceled the 2020 edition of the tournament. For the season, McCaffery was recognized as the team’s winner of the Top Playmaker Award.
He shared the Top Playmaker Award the following season and again started all 31 games, averaging 3.3 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 32.4 percent from the field. He mostly came off the bench during his redshirt senior year in 2021-22, but he still earned a share of the Top Playmaker Award after averaging 2.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per contest despite starting only five of 34 games total.
McCaffery returned to a starting role in his extra COVID year in 2022-23, when he started 22 of 32 total games and had the best campaign of his career. He posted career bests in shooting percentage (38.4 percent), points per game (6.5), steals per game (1.3), and rebounds per game (4.1) while also averaging 3.7 assists per contest. His 3.9 assist-to-turnover ratio led the nation, and he was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.
The Hawkeyes reached the NCAA Tournament in every full season in which he played except the COVID campaign.
McCaffery has since followed in his father’s footsteps. He is pursuing a career in coaching and took a job on the coaching staff of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers as a team assistant in May 2023.
“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,” McCaffery said to the Des Moines Register. “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. You’ve got to work hard and work your way up. That’s obviously what I want to do.”
The Pacers and the WNBA’s Indiana Fever share an owner in real estate developer Herb Simon. Given Clark’s allegiance to the Fever after being selected first overall in this year’s WNBA Draft, she’ll be in Indianapolis with McCaffery for the foreseeable future.
Caitlin Clark and Connor McCaffery relationship timeline
Clark and McCaffery’s relationship has not been in the public eye the way the NFL’s royal couple has taken over the world, but there’s still some documentation of its history.
April 23, 2023: The first public sighting of Clark and McCaffery comes at a Nuggets-Timberwolves game, as the camera spots Clark taking in the game in Minnesota with McCaffery next to her.
Aug. 21, 2023: Make it Instagram Official. Clark posts on her page a picture of her and McCaffery on a boat with the caption, “Best end to summer” with a heart emoji.
Jan. 22, 2024: McCaffery drops a collage of photos featuring him and Clark on his Instagram celebrating her birthday.
“Happy Birthday 22,” McCaffery wrote. “Wish I was there to celebrate with you – you deserve the best day 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.”
Feb. 4, 2024: Sheryl Swopes went viral for her inaccurate comments putting down Clark’s accomplishments as being the product of an extra COVID year (it’s Clark’s fourth year) and because she averages 40 shots per game (22.7 per game in 2023-24, 19.9 per game for her career). McCaffery was one of many running to Clark’s defense.
Feb. 16, 2024: When President Barack Obama celebrates Clark’s accomplishment, McCaffery was excited to draw attention to the post. He quote-tweeted the former president, writing “MR PRESIDENT” with crying emojis. The quote-tweet was one of several retweets from McCaffery celebrating Clark’s record. McCaffery was also in attendance to see history made.
Feb. 29, 2024: McCaffery reposted Clark’s social media announcement in which she declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft. He also liked several Indiana Fever posts on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter .
April 15, 2024: McCaffery responded to Clark’s WNBA Draft outfit with a series of emojis expressing his approval.
