Instagram/@connor_m30 Caitlin Clark pictured with boyfriend Connor McCaffrey.
Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend Connor McCaffrey took to Instagram to express his admiration for the Iowa Hawkeyes star. Months before March Madness tipped off, Clark celebrated her 22nd birthday on January 22, 2024. McCaffrey gave the star a birthday shoutout by posting several photos of the couple telling Clark he “admire[d] you in every way.”
“Happy Birthday 22 🤞🏼🤍 Wish I was there to celebrate with you – you deserve the best day ❤️,” McCaffrey said in a January 22 Instagram message. “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 🖤.”
Here’s what you need to know about the Iowa basketball power couple.
Caitlin Clark’s Boyfriend Connor McCaffrey Is on the Indiana Pacers Coaching Staff
Given McCaffrey’s ties to Iowa basketball, the power couple has become a feel-good story for Hawkeyes fans. McCaffrey is the son of Iowa men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffrey who he played under as well. The Indiana Pacers hired McCaffrey to join the team’s coaching staff in May 2023.
“I’m really excited. I want to get away and try to learn from someone else, somewhere else,” McCaffery told Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow during a May 25, 2023 interview. “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.”
Connor McCaffrey Is the Son of Iowa Coach Fran McCaffrey & Played 6 Seasons for the Hawkeyes
McCaffrey played six seasons for Iowa under his father. The guard wore a Hawkeyes jersey from 2017 to 2023, prior to beginning his coaching career. McCaffrey averaged 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game in 32 appearances, including 22 starts, during the 2022-23 season.
Clark’s Instagram page is mostly full of her business partnerships and Iowa basketball content, but the star posted photos with McCaffrey back in August. The pictures show the couple enjoying a boat ride as summer concluded, months ahead of the college basketball season.
“Best end to summer🖤,” Clark noted in the August 21 message.
Caitlin Clark is Headed to the WNBA Where She Is Expected to be Selected by the Indiana Fever With the No. 1 Pick
Clark is on the verge of joining her boyfriend in the pro basketball world. The Iowa star has already announced her intention to head to the WNBA following March Madness. Clark is hoping to add a national championship to her already iconic college basketball career before heading to the WNBA.
The Hawkeyes guard is expected to be selected by the Indiana Fever with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft on April 15. The Fever open the 2024 WNBA season against the Connecticut Sun on May 14. During a March 20 feature story with ESPN’s Wright Thompson, Clark was candid about the challenges of being a college student in the ever-growing public spotlight.
“I’m trying to learn about myself,” Caitlin explained. “At the same time I have to be the best version of myself. I have to be the best version of myself for my teammates, and for the fans, and for my family.”